what our night terrors it's the middle of the night everything is quiet
suddenly you're roused awake by the sound of motion next to you you look
over and see your partner tossing and turning next to you as if they're in the
middle of a bad dream suddenly they sit upright in the bed and scream and then
lie down and go back to sleep as if nothing happened leaving you sitting
there and asking what was that most likely the answer is that your partner
just experienced a night terror before we continue it would make our day if you
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up to date on all a besties daily video content unless you've already been
diagnosed with them yourself hearing the phrase night terrors might lead you to
assume that it's just another name to describe a nightmare
however while you might chalk up the symptoms as simply the result of a bad
dream night terrors are in fact a completely different beast entirely
night terrors are recurring nightmare episodes that can occur when a person is
asleep typically within the first half of the person's sleep cycle during the
stages 3 & 4 of non-rapid eye movement when the night terrors occur the person
affected partially wakes up from this stage of sleep resulting in the person
being in something of a half sleep half awake state a typical night terror
episode can last as quickly as a few seconds or as long as 10 minutes or more
when a night terror of curse the person affected may sit up in bed scream or cry
thrash around or even get out of bed altogether and begin running around the
room other telltale signs include rapid breathing an increased heart rate or
flushed and sweaty skin people with night tears may also become aggressive
if anyone tries to retrain them during an episode like a partner or a family
member while more common in children night
terrors also affect an estimated 2% of adults as well we say estimated because
there's no way to be completely sure usually a person goes back to sleep
after experiencing a night terror and most often doesn't even remember the
occurrence the next morning for those affected people with night terrors might
also experience only a few episodes per year or it might experience them on a
regular basis in rare instances people who struggle with night terrors might
even experience multiple episodes in a single night what separates a night
terror from a simple nightmare or bad dream is that in addition to causing the
symptoms we mentioned people typically don't remember experiencing night
terrors after they've passed whereas people might still remember scenes or
snippets of their nightmares after waking at this point you're probably
wondering what causes night terrors and if you or someone you know is affected
by them what can you do to cure or at the very least lessen the effects and
symptoms while studies are inconclusive as to what can be identified as the root
cause of night terrors researchers have been able to recognize a number of
different correlations which seem to point towards potential factors one
correlation sleep experts have appeared to identify is a link between night
terrors and respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea sleep apnea is a sleep
disorder in which a person's breathing is repeatedly interrupted while they're
sleeping and is characterized by symptoms such as loud snoring frequent
waking throughout the night and waking up with a dry mouth headache or sore
throat sleep apnea can be caused by risk factors such as obesity or excessive
consumption of alcohol and tobacco and if left unchecked and untreated and
potentially lead to other more harmful conditions such as type 2 diabetes and
heart disease in a study conducted in 2003 20
participants were monitored how respiratory conditions while sleeping
could potentially contribute to night terrors what they found was there does
appear to be a definite link between the two according to their research it was
suggested that four people with sleep apnea or other breathing related
ailments the extra effort required to keep breathing throughout the night
could be a potential trigger for night terrors and similar conditions research
has also seemed to suggest that recurring night terrors could also be
potential symptoms of underlying conditions that affect mental health
such as depression anxiety and bipolar disorder night terrors could also be
seen as potentially symptomatic for people struggling with trauma or
long-term Effects of repeated stress other factors and possible causes that
can contribute to night terrors are conditions such as sleep deprivation and
restless leg syndrome fatigue illness alcohol use or certain types of
medication because they are so uncommon it can be hard to identify or diagnose
the potential signs of night sayers fortunately not counting the underlying
conditions night terrors don't always necessarily require treatment however in
some cases night terrors can have a negative effect on your waking life by
disrupting your sleep and ability to rest or by causing you to run the risk
of accidentally harming yourself or another person during an episode in
order to treat night terrors it's important to try and identify the
potential underlying factors and causes as often times night terrors can end up
being a symptom of something worse
to lessen the effects of night terrors on their own one important step you can
take is by setting a proper sleep schedule and practicing good sleep
hygiene this means going to sleep and waking up at consistent times avoiding
electronic devices before bedtime and engaging in relaxing activities to
unwind before sleeping such as reading meditation or a warm shower
you should also attempt to limit your caffeine intake late in the day and
limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages if you're able to identify
that your night terrors are occurring at around the same time each night waking
yourself up around 15 minutes before they normally occur would also help
prevent them from happening you can do this by having a partner or family
member wake you up at the agreed-upon time or
if you live alone you can simply set an alarm
once you've woken up it's advised that you stay awake for several minutes
before going back to sleep since night terrors can be indicative of other
problems pertaining to mental health you may also want to consider seeking out a
mental health professional who is equipped with the tools and experience
necessary to help accurately diagnose and treat these underlying conditions if
your partner struggles with night terrors on a regular basis you might be
wondering what you can do in order to help them through these episodes one
thing you should avoid doing is attempting to wake your partner up
during one of these episodes not only can your attempts proved to be
unsuccessful but trying to wake someone currently experiencing night terrors
could cause them to become confused and aggressive which can lead to
unintentional harm instead try to offer support and comfort by talking to your
partner in a calm and quiet voice and try to gently lead them back to bed if
they get out and start to wander if your sleepwalking partner hesitates or begins
to show signs of aggression that's your cue to back off
above all else try to remember that your partner's night terrors are out of their
control and don't be upset or shame them about
an episode after the fact instead try to offer them support reassurance and
understanding both in their struggles with night terrors and in the steps they
take to help treat their effects
despite their similar sounding names night terrors are often different
compared to your run-of-the-mill nightmare a bad dream while rare in
adults night terrors can indicate a number of potentially harmful factors
and underlying causes if you experience night terrors that cause a major
negative impact on your everyday life it is strongly suggested that you seek out
a professional in order to discuss possible treatment options do you or
does someone you know have experience with night terrors are you comfortable
sharing your experiences with others if so we encourage you to leave a comment
below and keep the discussion going we'd love to hear some stories from people
with first-hand knowledge of this condition as well as any potential tips
and strategies that can help people who are currently struggling with night
terrors enjoyed this video hit the like button and share with your friends also
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