Night Terrors In Childhood

Night terrors also known as sleep terrors can be defined as a “sleeping disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified” (Meyers, 2014). Night terrors most commonly occur with children. Many people in general not just parents get confused between a nightmare and a night terror. Nightmares occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep which is a state of sleep where people are conscious. When a person wakes up from a nightmare they have a “vivid memory of a long movie like a dream” (nightterrors.org). Night terrors, on the other hand, occur “during NERM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered” (Meyers, 2014). Since the child is in such deep sleep he/she will not remember a night terror. Since the child cannot remember their dream it makes it hard for doctors and psychologist to figure out what the child is fearful of, and why it is occurring. Although it is difficult for professionals to diagnose, it is beneficial to the child not

The story Night shows Elie Wiesel's own experiences in the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel's 'Night' vividly describes the suffering he went through during the Holocaust. His experiences as a teenager in Nazi concentration camps are shown in the book, including the loss of his family and his struggle to hold onto his faith in the face of unspeakable horror. Exploring the journey of a young Holocaust survivor and the impact of life in concentration camps. Eliezer recounts the violence and abuse he witnessed and experienced in the Nazi concentration camps.

In the book “night” written by Elie Wiesel, the reader is able to catch a glimpse of the holocaust and how it dangerously impacted not only the Jewish, but the whole world. Written for everyone and anyone, “Night” is an emotionally draining book designed to help the reader understand just how devastating the holocaust was.

There are two components for fear, they are biochemical response and emotional reaction. Even when we prepare ourselves for what is coming, there are still moments when we can hear our heart beating out of our chest, we start to sweat, and feel the adrenaline pumping through our bodies. Biochemical fear, which is an automatic response is likely to be an evolutionary trait. Say you hear the leaves crackling against the cool Fall pavement and the hiss of something unknown in the darkness. This image creates a fight or flight response within and we have to make a choice quickly to stay or to go. While biochemical responses to fear are universal, emotional reactions to fear more individualized and physical. Emotional fear has little place when discussing the Boogeyman because children do not go out looking for their monster in the night. Their fear is rational to them and leads to stress when they think they are dealing with this creature of the night. (MacDonald). Just read this child’s rhyme about the Boogeyman if you need to see the effects this fear

Have you ever endured a trauma or tragedy ? From the dictionary, a trauma is an experience that produces psychological injury or pain. A tragedy is a fatal event or affair. In the book “ Night” by Elie Wiesel, we get a glimpse though his eyes to see what life was like during the Holocaust. For those who lived in the concentration camps, like Wiesel, or those who witness this event ; the Holocaust can be seen as tragedy and trauma.

People can often be stronger than what they think they are when faced with harsh, bestial, and generally unpleasant conditions. Many of the people who have endured the Holocaust, or passed trying, have tolerated the absolute maximum amount of torture mentally, physically, and spiritually as well. While it may be impossible to think that people of this time could survive the savage conditions of the Holocaust, some may actually possess the willpower to push through. One would like to open with this quote from the novel, Night, by Elie Wiesel, “We were masters of nature, masters of the world. We had forgotten everything- death, fatigue, our natural needs” (Wiesel 87).

Night terrors are a type of parasomnia, that cause screaming, intense fear, and flailing, while still asleep. These episodes are most common but not limited to children between ages of four to twelve, for they can also still occur in adults. Mostly children are affected by this parasomnia, but only three to six percent of them have these night terrors, and the percentage of occurrences in adults are lower. Some studies show that there are some variables, such as tiredness, or drugs, may cause a development of these disturbances during sleep. While most will grow out of their sleep terrors, some may not, and must find different ways to control or reduce their chances of having night terrors. Usually, night terrors are not normally due to psychiatric disorders, so with that in mind, it is logical to assume that they are often triggered by certain environmental factors.

Most American children's parents tell them that at night, monsters are everywhere. This then causes children during the night to jump at every noise made in the dark, any creaky floor board stepped on or rustling shutters stimulates fear in them. The fear of darkness is most of the time an effect of which happens because of frightening stories told to a person from when they are young. This fear most of the time carries on with them through adulthood. The fear of darkness is both "gut" and "head" based. While system one, which is a gut based way of thinking, works fast, causing people to make decisions without being consciously aware. This then causes immediate decisions to be made. Gut based decisions are the choices made by people which they

On January 11, 1997, the Winchester family resided in Apple Hill, a small town in Oregon. Their household only had dinner together every Saturday evening due to the parents working countless hours to provide for their children. Shirley, the mother worked the nocturnal shift at Stone Gate Hospital and Robert, the father worked for the FBI. Needless to say, they were constantly busy, but promised their kids they would have their favorite meal when they got home - spaghetti and garlic bread.

As we are talking about the nightmare stuff, so lets start with the the types of most common

Fear of the dark still remains and they may have a fear of moving objects and fear of being abandoned by their parents

Things that pop and crack populate the house. Hearing sounds in the middle of the night that send chills down my spine. A sense of alertness occurs when standing there frozen, waiting, and thinking, “What could it be?” Waiting for the next noise or ignition of thought that makes the heart beat a little faster and breathe slower to limit the noises made in the darkness. When the lights go out you ultimately assume the worst scenarios for example a burglar, paranormal activities, or critters in the night. Even the tick tock of the clock seems like a loud bass drum in the vicinity of catching another sound to reassure that the noise was not something or someone. I often ask myself “Why me?” questioning why I have these fears. I remember how watching horror movies generated fear even at the young age of eight. Movies such as Puppet Master, IT, and Children of the Corn come to mind as well as the infamous Chucky movies. In those movies only bad things happened at night.

It is safe to say that terror often causes negative reactions. When someone is scared, their mind can take over and will impair one's ability to reason. This is shown in two stories, “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe and “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortazar. Imagination takes over in “The Fall of the House of Usher” when Roderick Usher realizes he buried his sister alive. The mind also takes over in “House Taken Over,” when two siblings deal with a mysterious entity. Imagination overcomes reason when characters become anxious or are isolated from society.

In human nature there exists a morbid desire to explore the darker realms of life. As sensitive beings we make every effort to deny our curiosity in the things that frighten us, and will calmly reassure our children that there aren't any creatures under their beds each night, but deep down we secretly thrive on that cool rush of fear. Despite our efforts to maintain a balance of respectable emotions, we are a society of people who slow down to look at traffic accidents and find excitement in the macabre. We turn off the lights when watching scary movies, and when it's time to go to bed, we secretly make sure the closet doors are shut. Fear keeps our hearts pumping and endorphins rushing, for it is an emotion that reminds us of our

Night terrors, nightmares, and sleepwalking are all cases that fall into sleep disorders called parasomnias. Parasomnias are disruptive sleep disorders that can occur during arousal from either rapid eye movement or even non-rapid eye movement. Children from the age’s four to twelve of ages experience night terrors.