Each of us has awakened in horror from our sleep at least once in our lifetime. So, could there be a hidden reason or danger underlying this bad ending?
One nightYou laid your head on your feather pillow as normal and prepared for a deep sleep to relieve the tiredness of the day. Perhaps the most important part of your sleep out of control, in a terrible state you woke up.
Today, every person has experienced at least once in his life, which can cause serious problems if repeated. sleep terror We will review it with you.
Word origin and general definition of sleep terror
night terrors or more commonly known as sleep terroris the most common example of parasomnia, which is defined as any involuntary behavior experienced or experienced during sleep.
Parasomnia is the Greek word meaning. “money” with Latin “somnusIt consists of the words ” and “sleep companion” It is translated into our language with a meaning like The most common types of parasomnia are sleepwalking and sleep terrors.
Scientific definition and symptoms of sleep terror
Sleep terror, which is mostly seen in children and very rarely in adults, Screaming, trembling and fearful, usually within 2 hours of falling asleep. It is the name given to the state of awakening.
Stages and developments of sleep terror
Although it varies from person to person, sleep terrors are generally a few seconds or a few minutes takes.
In the NREM (non-rem) part of sleep, that is in the phase between sleep and wakefulness experienced sleep terrors; While it can be seen more than once in 40% of children, this rate is almost zero in adults.
What happens during a sleep terror
During a sleep terror, the person; screaming or shouting wakes up, may find himself sitting in bed when he wakes up. After waking up, there is a marked increase in heart rate, pupils dilate, and sweating is common. Although rare, sleep terrors and sleepwalking can occur together.
Factors that cause sleep terrors
Although the cause of sleep terror has not been clearly explained until now, it is possible to talk about a few scientific theories. As you can imagine, the most frequently put forward reason among the theories is psychological reasons. A person may experience sleep terrors if they have depression or anxiety – bipolar disorder.
The other theory is that breathing problems that he is alive. If the person has respiratory problems, he makes an extra effort to breathe during sleep and may experience sleep terrors with the effect of the effort.
On the other hand stimulant, alcohol, antidepressant or use substance It can also trigger sleep terrors. In fact, sometimes an innocent tiredness, sleeping during travel or sleeping in a new environment can also trigger sleep terrors.
Frequency of sleep terror in society and selectors
In scientific studies, strangely enough, sleep terror transmitted through genes In other words, it was concluded that it can be passed on to children genetically through parents. If the child’s mother or father has a history of sleep terror; It is very likely that the child will also experience sleep terrors.
According to the research at least 88% of children aged five months to 6 years experience at least one sleep terror. Sleep terrors that start in childhood generally decrease and end in adolescence.
Not every nightmare is a sleep terror, but every sleep terror is a nightmare
You may have confused sleep terrors and nightmares because of their symptoms or effects, but there are very clear differences between the two. The main difference is a person wakes up when he has a nightmare And when he woke up, his nightmare was almost remembers at a level that can tell almost all. In sleep terror, this situation can never be mentioned.
In sleep terror, the individual cannot wake up immediately, and when he wakes up, he usually remembers nothing or rarely remembers very small details. It is possible that very small details are remembered. very rarely and only in adults is seen.
Again, although very rarely, sleepwalking is not seen in nightmares; in sleep terror sleepwalking visible.
When is professional support needed?
We mentioned that every person can experience sleep terrors at least once in their lifetime. It is not necessary to consult a specialist for sleep terrors in childhood, which is very rare (for example, 3-4 times a year), but it is not necessary to consult a specialist. in case of increased frequency It is useful to consult an expert.
In addition, adult sleep terrors may not be as innocent as childhood sleep terrors. For this reason, sleep terrors seen in adults rush to seek advice from an expert more important.
Before seeking professional support…
If you think your child is experiencing sleep terrors;
your child the time of going to sleep, the start time of the sleep terror, the continuation process, and the awakening times. Take notes regularly. Take note of this information for a while and consult the expert. In this way, you will further assist your child and specialists in the diagnosis and treatment processes of specialists. When you go to a specialist without this information, this data will be the first information the experts will ask from you.
Sleep terror alert for adults
sleep terror begins in childhood and ends in adolescence we talked about. This is not something we should worry about unless it happens often. if If we do not experience sleep terrors in childhood but experience sleep terrors as adults or childhood-onset sleep terrors, if it didn’t end in adolescence; Then it’s a good idea to consult an expert.
Especially in cases of progressive adult sleep terrors, besides waking up with screaming, sweating, increased heart rate; Often, symptoms such as taking off your clothes during sleep, undressing, waking up in a different place than the sleeping place can be seen. In such cases, the person is initially called a PSG (polysomnography). sleep test and the treatment is directed according to the results of this test.
What about you before sleep terror have you heard Considering that you have experienced sleep terror at least once before; What effect did what you experienced at that moment have on you? Continuing Do you have a sleep terror? If you have received a treatment for sleep terrors, you can share your experiences about your treatment process, and if you have memories about sleep terrors, you can share your memories with us in the comments section.
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