Sleep terror is a form of sleep disorder in which a person suddenly experiences severe fear and/or anxiety while sleeping. It is a sleep disorder in the group of parasomnias. Parasomnias can be described as undesirable events that occur while falling asleep, asleep or waking up. Apart from sleep terror, confusional awakening, sleepwalking, nightmare disorder, REM sleep behavior disorder and sleep paralysis (Dreams) are some of the diseases in the parasomnia group. It is common in childhood, especially between the ages of 5-7. Its incidence has been reported to be 3-6% in children and less than 1% in adults.
What is sleep terror?
The answer to the question of what is sleep terror may be a matter of curiosity. In sleep terror, it is a sleep disorder that manifests itself with symptoms such as screaming, intense fear, shaking while the person's eyes are open but still asleep when the brain waves are looked at. It usually goes away with attacks lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. Although it may seem scary, it is not usually a sign of a serious problem. Attacks typically last between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, although in some cases the duration can be significantly longer. In most children, the symptoms of the disorder disappear completely with the adolescence years without any treatment. The exact underlying cause of this disorder, which is a state of partial wakefulness, is still unknown. However, there are some factors that are predicted to cause the disorder. Among these factors are the following:
- Stress
- Physical fatigue
- Travel-related sleep disorders
- Excessive sleep deprivation
- Some antidepressants and some drugs with stimulant properties
- Alcohol intake
Sleep Terror in Babies
Babies experiencing sleep terrors They may appear in panic or fear. They may not react to the adults around them and may seem very confused. During a sleep terror, the baby may scream, cry, have rapid breathing, and have an increased heart rate. After the attack has passed, it usually does not show any signs of distress. you sleep The dream does not indicate that the baby is having a bad dream because these attacks occur in the stage without the dreaming period. For mothers who have sleep terrors in their babies, this process can be quite troublesome. Because there is nothing they can do to calm their babies while they are crying and screaming. They do not respond to stimuli and it is very difficult, sometimes even impossible, to wake them from sleep. The answer to the question of how to prevent sleep terrors in babies is often a matter of curiosity by parents who have this problem. Unfortunately, no strategy to prevent sleep terrors has been scientifically proven. However, some parents may find that keeping track of their baby's sleep terror attacks helps them identify triggers such as stress, fatigue, or certain foods. Some of the practices that can help prevent sleep terrors in babies include:
- Establishing a soothing nighttime routine
- Laying the baby down at the same time each night to prevent fatigue
- avoiding anything containing caffeine
- Sleeping in the same room with the baby
Sleep Terror in Children
In extreme panic, the child may scream, shout, sway, or even jump out of bed. Although his eyes are open, he is not fully awake. Sleep terror attacks in children usually occur in the early hours of the night and last for a few minutes. It can last up to 15 minutes and sometimes recurs multiple times throughout the night. It is more common in those with a family history of sleep terror or sleepwalking. Attacks can be triggered by the following factors:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Some drugs
- Excitement
- Anxiety
- Sudden noise
- Full bladder
- The child should not be intervened or interacted unless he/she is in a dangerous situation
- Don't try to wake him up
- Knowing that the situation is harmless Try not to panic
- Performing regular relaxing pre-sleep routines
- Not talking to the child or others around them in a way that worries them, as this may cause their anxiety.
- If sleep terror attacks are frequent and occur at a certain time each night, waking the child before the attack can break this cycle. The child is awakened every night for 7 days 15 minutes before the expected time of the attack. This practice may be the easiest way to stop attacks without affecting sleep quality.
Sleep Terrors in Adults
Sleep terrors are more common in young children, but the disturbance is more common as an adult. In reality, the number may be higher because the data are not clear, as many people sleep alone and cannot remember experiencing sleep terrors. Since sleep terrors in adults are so closely associated with mental trauma and psychological disorders, behaviors such as aggression, anxiety, memory loss and self-mutilation are common in most of these individuals. For this reason, the treatment of sleep terrors in adults includes the use of drugs aimed at reducing the underlying cause and symptoms related to the disorder. For example, the use of antidepressants in adults is one of the solutions for sleep terror.
What are the Symptoms of Sleep Terrorism?
Sleep terrors are different from nightmares because the person having nightmares can remember details after waking up, but in sleep terror the person does not wake up and wakes up. time does not remember what happened. The difference between the two stems from the sleep phase in which night terrors occur. Night terrors occur during the REM phase of sleep (that is, the phase in which most dreams occur), while night terrors occur during the non-REM phase of deep sleep. Sleep because the deep sleep phase is more in the first half of the night The incidence of bird terrorism is also higher in this period. After the attack, which usually lasts for a few seconds to minutes, the person goes back to sleep as if nothing had happened and does not remember what happened when he wakes up. Possible symptoms of sleep terrors include:
- Screaming, shouting, crying, making meaningless sounds
- Autonomic findings such as rapid breathing, flushing, rapid heartbeat, sweating
- Do not look with fearful eyes
- Open eyes and appear awake
- Difficulty being aroused
- Do not become aggressive if interfered, blocked or tried to wake up
- Confused and confused if awakened during an attack
- Sitting in bed, fluttering, jumping
- Not remembering the attack on awakening
Difference Between Sleep Terror and Epilepsy
It may not be sufficient to distinguish between sleep-related epileptic seizures and parasomnias seen in the non-REM sleep period, including sleep terror, by examination alone. Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy is characterized by seizures with complex, often bizarre, violent behavior that occur during sleep. These unusual seizures are seen during sleep, and EEG examination and radiological findings taken during wakefulness are usually within normal limits. This makes it very difficult to distinguish seizures from parasomnias. Polysomnography is a sleep test performed at sleep centers to evaluate sleep quality. In addition, video polysomnography (VPSG-EEG), which is performed with multi-channel EEG during the whole night's sleep, and which also records images during attacks, is very useful in distinguishing these disorders.
How Does Sleep Terror Pass?
Treatment of sleep terrors, which is seen infrequently, is not usually necessary. However, if it recurs too often, poses a risk of injury, bothers family members, or results in embarrassment or sleeplessness, treatment may be needed. The following steps can be followed in the treatment:
- For the treatment of sleep terror, the underlying cause, if any, is first eliminated.
- If it is thought that stress or anxiety triggers the sleep terror, it may be useful to see a psychologist.
- Attacks at the same time every night If it happens, waking the person 15 minutes before gives useful results. The person stays awake for a few minutes before falling asleep again, and this practice is continued for a while, trying to break the cycle.
- Medications are mostly preferred in adults. It is rarely used in children.
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