Symptoms

Sleep terrors differ from nightmares. The dreamer of a nightmare wakes up from the dream and may remember details, but a person who has a sleep terror episode remains asleep. Children usually don't remember anything about their sleep terrors in the morning. Adults may recall a dream fragment they had during the sleep terrors.

Sleep terrors generally occur in the first third to first half of the night, and rarely during naps. A sleep terror may lead to sleepwalking.

During a sleep terror episode, a person may:

• Begin with a frightening scream or shout
• Sit up in bed and appear frightened
• Stare wide-eyed
• Sweat, breathe heavily, and have a racing pulse, flushed face and dilated pupils
• Kick and thrash
• Be hard to awaken, and be confused if awakened
• Be inconsolable
• Have no or little memory of the event the next morning
• Possibly, get out of bed and run around the house or have aggressive behavior if blocked or restrained

When to see a doctor

Occasional sleep terrors aren't usually a cause for concern. If your child has sleep terrors, you can simply mention them at a routine well-child exam. However, consult your doctor if sleep terrors:

• Become more frequent
• Routinely disrupt the sleep of the person with sleep terrors or other family members
• Lead to safety concerns or injury
• Result in daytime symptoms of excessive sleepiness or problems functioning
• Continue beyond the teen years or start in adulthood