What May Trigger Night Terrors?

No one knows exactly what parasomnias are, and unfortunately, no one knows exactly what causes them, either. In one study I read, it was suggested that these occurrences are related to a delayed maturation of the central nervous system (Fleiss 30). This was the only reading that I saw this in. However, it has been discovered that parasomnias have a genetic link – they run in families. For example, if your child has night terrors, it is very likely that someone else in your family had either night terrors or some other form of parasomnia (confusional arousals, sleepwalking or sleep talking) (Mindell 263). Also, they appear to be developmental, with children seeming to experience them at certain ages. There are other possible contributing factors as well, which I will list here:

There are many reasons as to how and why sleep disturbances form. Sleep disturbances are caused by physical pain, medical issues, environmental use such as alcohol, stress, and jet lag. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth begins to sleep walk when a doctor comes to see her. “In this slumbery agitation, besides her walking and other actual

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

Did you ever awaken and find yourself unable to move? Perhaps you sensed a presence in your room or a pressure on your chest. This is sleep paralysis. It is a common disorder that affects millions of people. Most believe it occurs as we are on the edge of REM sleep. The disorder has been connected with such hallucinogenic events such as alien abduction or an evil presence. Sleep paralysis is an inability to move or speak, occasionally accompanied by hallucinations, for up to several minutes upon awakening or just before falling asleep.

The first stage of sleep is call N1. N1 is the stage between sleep and wakefulness. In this cycle, your brain produces Theta waves. Hypnogogic Hallucinations are also present during this phase. Hypnogogic Hallucinations are strange sensations that occur when you hear or see something that is not there. For example, if you watched the movie Frankenstein before you fall asleep, you might see the monster Frankenstein when falling asleep.

Imagine waking up only to find that you are unable to move anything but your eyes, you sense something lurking in the darkness and open your mouth to scream. You try moving around to escape whatever it is hiding in the dark but you can’t. You can’t move at all. And then you wake up only to find it was all a dream. This bizarre phenomenon is known as sleep paralysis. It is unknown how much of the population it affects as there have been many differences in survey methods but it is estimated to be anywhere between 5 and 60 percent.

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

There are four levels of parasomnias. These levels include: Arousal Disorders, Sleep Wake Transition, REM Associated Parasomnias, and Miscellaneous Parasomnias. Each level has certain types of parasomnias categorized under it. Arousal Disorders involve sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and sleep terrors. Sleep Wake Transition Disorders involve rhythmic movement disorder, sleep starts, sleep talking, and nocturnal leg cramps. REM Associated Parasomnias involve nightmares, sleep paralysis, sleep-related sinus arrest, and REM behavior disorder. Miscellaneous Parasomnias involve bruxism, sleep enuresis, and Nocturnal Paroxysmal Dystonia. Parasomnias are actually classified into two groups as well. These groups are the primary parasomnias and

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)

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

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, belongs to a group of parasomnias. This disorder of arousal is characterized by complex motor behaviors initiated during stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep (slow-wave sleep) (3). Behaviors during sleepwalking episodes can vary greatly. Some episodes are limited to sitting up, fumbling and getting dressed, while others include more complex behaviors such as walking, driving a car, or preparing a meal (2). After awakening, the sleepwalker usually has no recollection of what has happened and may appear confused and disoriented. The behaviors performed while sleepwalking are said to be autonomous automatisms. These are nonrelfex actions performed without conscious volition and

Sleepwalking most often occurs at a certain point in the sleep "architecture" (6).This is the point where the sleeper's brain waves have become larger and he or she has moved into deeper sleep. This is not REM sleep, but deep non-REM sleep. The series of complex behaviors characterizing somnambulism includes "amnesia following an episode," and "difficulty in arousing the patient during an episode" (9). The patient can also have other REM disorders or psychiatric and medical disorders which do not account for the sleepwalking. While sleepwalking, the patients' brainwaves show a mixture of types of brainwave patterns, including ones similar to those observed in waking patients, as well as those found in deep sleep. It is the "awake" patterns which match the waking behaviors like walking and talking while the patient is still asleep enough so that he or she is not aware of what it happening and is not forming memories of their actions (3).

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.