Night Terrors : The Causes And Effects Of Night Terrors

Dreaming is yet another state of consciousness. A dream is simply an unfolding episode of mental images that involve characters and events. Dreams usually tend to occur during REM sleep but can occur during NREM sleep as well. We dream on a variety of topics, subjects, and individuals. No dream can be exactly interpreted or defined, therefore people have always been fascinated with what, why, and how we dream. An unpleasant and almost terrifying type of dream is a nightmare. This is a very vivid, almost real

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

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).

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

I found an interesting article written by the Harvard Medical School Department of Neurobiology. In 1721 nightmares was defined as a "disease when a man in his sleep supposes he has a great weight laying upon him” (Edwards, n.d.). This definition completely differs from today's definition. are more Today, the different is completely different nightmares affect many adults, however, it affects children more. The reason for this is because children are smaller and more vulnerable more threats than adults (Edwards, n.d.). Nightmares can be caused by a number of factors, however, Edwards states that the most studied cause for nightmares is post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result of trauma and negative experiences, individuals typically

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 are unpredictable and can last anywhere from around ten minutes to thirty minutes, possibly longer. During these terrifying minutes, the person experiencing the terror may cry, scream, breathe heavily, sweat, and most of the time their eyes are open (Strickland). Deirdre Barrett says that “Night terrors are a phenomenon of the deepest parts of non-REM sleep, when the brain is less active” and because the brain is less active, you are more likely to not remember the night terror ever happening when you wake up the next morning (Edwards). Although it is more likely to not remember the terror when you wake up, some can remember pieces of the night terror, and a few can even remember the whole entire thing (Richards).

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

In childhood, emotions are what rule us. Normally night terrors are controlled by the subconscious. Basically, whatever is feared, changed, worrying, or even frustration, can have an effect on the child leading to a night terror. Children are heavily influenced by their parents, this is why in a separation or divorce the child often suffers severely, in cases with the children who also suffer from night terrors, this is an even more difficult time. Any emotional, physical, or mental changes could be considered stressors or triggers - cause of the night terrors. In

They are really identified with other sleep disorders, for example, sleepwalking and don't happen amid REM sleep, however amid profound sleep or delta sleep. At the point when night terrors happen the sufferer is still in a sleep state. These scenes normally simply end with the tyke falling back asleep and not having the capacity to review what happened in the

Night terrors can seem to be nightmares, but occur during NREM-3 sleep, which is a stage of sleep when you are hard to waken. Originally I considered my childhood nightmares night terrors, but unlike night terrors I could easily wake myself up and never talked or walked around during an episode. Sleep walking can sometimes be linked to night terrors, but are also they're own separate disorder. Within the NREM-3 a person can be prone to sleepwalking, especially if it runs in the family. I personally have been in

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.

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.

Werewolves are creatures that we find in many different cultures around the world. The most classically known origin story for the beasts comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In it’s first book, Jupiter goes to Earth to observe humans after hearing of their evil nature. He reveals himself to the Arcadians who immediately start worshipping, all except their king, Lycaon. He does not believe the god’s immortality and seeks to put it to the test. Lycaon kills a messenger from another city and cooks him with the intent to force cannibalism on the god. Jupiter immediately sees through this attempt at trickery and casts a curse upon Lycaon, dooming him to change into the form of a wolf. The Metamorphoses details the characteristics of Lycaon’s transformation from human to wolf,

Sleep is crucial for a child developing. At the the time we were all in kindergarden, meaning we needed roughly 10-11 hours of sleep a night (Rathus, 2011). Sleep acts as a battery reviser. As the day goes on we lose energy, sleep replenishes that energy. That energy aids in development. Without sleep children do not get that energy, and as a result don’t have the energy to grow and develop. Sleep terrors can potentially be a roadblock to sleep.