Night Terror Research Paper

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

2. Like to keep liked objects like their toys near while sleeping and lights are kept on

Through his research Dr. McKenna has found that co-sleeping infants rarely cry during the night. Solo sleepers startle frequently throughout the night and cry four times more than co-sleepers. When babies who routinely slept solos were moved to a co-sleeping arrangement, they cried less. When babies who routinely co-slept were studied sleeping alone, they cried more. Startling and crying releases stress hormones, which increase heart rate and blood pressure, interfere with restful sleep and can lead to long-term sleep anxiety.

As stated in a previous statistic, sleep disorders unfortunately target a wide variety of ages. Children are commonly affected by Sleep Apnea, teeth grinding, Night Terrors, Nightmares, sleep walking, Restless Leg Syndrome, bedwetting, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Adults tend to be affected by Insomnia, Hypersomnia, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, Sleep Paralysis, Hypopnea Syndrome, and Noctoria. Sleep disorders are very common and also very dangerous in some circumstances. Ill treating or ignoring sleep disorders can lead to lethargy, poor mood, lack of motivation, and may negatively impact

Stressor in the patient's life that disrupts sleep. There is usually a history of sleepwalking and a family vulnerability to the disorder. The parasomnia usually occurs in the first part of the night in a NREM stage. After the event the patient is utterly amnestic for the episode and attempts no cover-up of the deed. There is grief, remorse and efforts to cooperate in the investigation. Cartwright sees it as an obligation of the scientist that when he or she has

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.

Sleep paralysis is a common condition with a prevalence of 5-62%, although most affected people have single or infrequent episodes (Dahlitz). Occasionally sleep paralysis is found to run in a family, and it can be associated with other disorders of hypersomnia, such as sleep apnea (Becker 81). Narcolepsy has also been linked with sleep paralysis; both are thought to be REM sleep disorders (Siegel). Gender and race do not seem to be a factor of risk for this disorder. The episodes of sleep paralysis seem to range from ages 5-35 (Dahlitz). The use of anxiolytic medicines, psychiatric disorders and high anxiety can also contribute to sleep paralysis (Larkin).

The sleep cycle is often the first symptom to pre-schizophrenia. "Infants were reported to ‘sleep almost constantly' during the first few months, yet by the age of six months, they refuse to sleep at all". (Cantor, 1988) Severe nightmares are very common in the first two years of life, where the child is unable to be awoken, or the child wakes spontaneously, vomits, and falls back asleep. (Cantor, ‘88) By the time the child is three or four, serious sleep disorders begin to develop. "The child just can't fall asleep, and it seems like they just can't relax". (Cantor, ‘88) These children are more likely to sleep walk, and have no fear in doing anything while in this state. "Both sleep behavior and understanding of danger improve as the child matures; in fact, schizophrenic children become cautious and fearful as the awareness of their alien world

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

Parasomnia refers to a wide variety of disruptive, sleep-related events or, "disorders of arousal." These behaviors and experiences occur usually while sleeping, and most are often infrequent and mild. They may however happen often enough to become so bothersome that medical attention should be sought out. "Parasomnias are disorders characterized by abnormal behavior or physiological events occurring in association with sleep stages, or sleep-wake transitions."(DSM pg. 435)

As with sleepwalking, it can be hereditary. But thankfully our bodies change as we age, which is why we see children who no longer sleep talk or have night terrors. There are still some teenagers and adults who suffer from sleeping disorders, and in certain cases (such as narcolepsy, a brain disease where you have uncontrollable sleep attacks) some may never grow out of their illness. Either way, I am very fascinated by sleeping disorders and will educate others who suffer the new information that I

     Finally, sleep is lost and never will be regained. During the first year of a baby’s life, parents, especially mothers, lose 700 or more hours of sleep. That is a lot. No wonder parents look like a walking zombie. When babies do sleep through the night, parents still wake up to check on them to make sure that they are comfortable and everything is all right. Unfortunately, babies aren’t the only cause for loss of sleep. Teenagers are to. They go out and stay

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.

Unfortunately all sleep disorders are not caused by the same condition. There are several types or disorders and several conditions that can produce a them. (Fritz p82).

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.