Table of contents:
- What are night terrors
- Night terrors in adults: causes
- Night terrors in adults: symptoms
- Effects and consequences of night terrors
- When to see a specialist for night terrors
- Treatment of night terrors in adults
- Tips to avoid night terrors in adults
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Unlike nightmares, night terrors are a sleep disorder that causes a half-awakening of the affected person, who may experience an episode of great anguish, fear and terror with screaming, crying, hitting, palpitations, sweating, among other symptoms. In addition to the inability to become completely independent from sleep, the person does not remember what happened during that episode the next day. Although night terrors are common in children and tend to disappear spontaneously as the child grows, it is also possible that they occur in adults and, in this case, they could be associated with emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, depression or some medical condition. underlying medical condition. In this Psychology-Online article, we will explain what they arethe causes, symptoms and treatment of night terrors in adults.
You may also be interested in: Symptoms of night terrors in children and babies Index- What are night terrors
- Night terrors in adults: causes
- Night terrors in adults: symptoms
- Effects and consequences of night terrors
- When to see a specialist for night terrors
- Treatment of night terrors in adults
- Tips to avoid night terrors in adults
What are night terrors
The night terrors are a type of disorder sleep on the affected are quick wake up and suddenly terrified and distressed. The person may wake up emitting a cry of anguish, very scared or even confused, in addition this may be accompanied by other symptoms such as accelerated heart rate, altered breathing and excessive sweating. In some cases, you can even hit what is around you without really being aware of your surroundings. Afterwards, he usually does not remember what happened and there is no response to the effort that others make to reassure him.
These episodes usually last between 10 and 20 minutes, and then the person falls asleep again. Night terrors occur during deep sleep and generally in the first half of the night.
Night terrors in adults: causes
Night terrors are much more common in childhood and usually disappear in adolescence. However, there is also a percentage of adults who suffer from them and in this case, although the exact cause is unknown, specialists have pointed out that they could be related to emotional or personality problems. Let's see below what can be the causes of night terrors in adults:
- Stress and emotional tension.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Fatigue and lack of sleep.
- Having starred in a traumatic event, such as the loss of a loved one, an accident, a separation, an illness, etc.
- Family history of night terrors: Apparently, people who have direct relatives with this problem are more likely to suffer from them.
- High fever and consumption of some medications: both fever and taking certain drugs could increase the sleep phases, making them deeper and favoring the suffering of these episodes.
- Consumption of alcohol or drugs.
Night terrors in adults: symptoms
To find out if you have night terrors, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- At night do you usually wake up suddenly emitting a scream or terrified and very anguished?
- When you wake up, do you take any action that could endanger you or whoever is around you at that moment?
- Do you feel very confused when you wake up?
- Can't remember what happened the next morning?
- The person next to you at that moment cannot wake you up or calm you down?
In the event that you have answered yes to the first of the previous questions and you have also said "yes" to any of the following, it is possible that you are suffering from night terrors.
Pay attention to what are the main symptoms of night terrors in adults, this can help you confirm the diagnosis:
- Having very unpleasant sensations and visualizing negative images during the night terror.
- During the episode, the person may speak, moan, scream, sob, or cry.
- Moving excessively, which can lead to falls.
- Waking up screaming, very distraught and terrified.
- Upon awakening, sweating, hyperventilation, elevated heart rate, confusion, and disorientation.
- Hitting or kicking his surroundings without being conscious.
- You can be with your eyes open and walk while you are asleep
- You do not react to attempts by the person next to you to wake you up and reassure you.
- He does not remember the episode or anything that happened during it.
- Once the episode has passed, the affected person can go back to sleep.
Effects and consequences of night terrors
Inevitably, when suffering from night terrors, the quality of sleep and rest of the person are severely affected and the consequences can be the following:
- Insomnia: the affected person's sleep is altered and the simple fact of thinking that these episodes may be recurrent can make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Excessive sleepiness the next day: During the next day, the person may be more tired and fatigued than normal, as well as having difficulty concentrating. Your typical performance may drop considerably.
- Night terrors can also have consequences for people around the affected person and it is possible that they suffer from sleep disturbances and cannot rest peacefully.
When to see a specialist for night terrors
If night terrors occur sporadically due to temporary bouts of tension or stress, they don't have to be a red flag. Now, it is very important to seek professional help when these episodes begin to be more and more frequent or recurrent, they follow a specific pattern, the physical integrity of the affected person and the people around him are in danger or the next day he is very tired and unable to perform normal daily activities.
In this way, it is essential to go to a specialist when:
- Night terrors are frequently experienced.
- You can't get a good rest and the next day there is a lot of tiredness and fatigue.
- People in the environment cannot sleep and rest well.
- You are afraid of falling asleep.
- Night terrors cause aggressive or violent behavior.
- They follow a specific pattern.
- You think or suspect that you may have a mental or emotional problem.
The mental health professional will analyze the symptoms of each case and make a thorough evaluation to confirm the diagnosis. There are many other disorders that cause symptoms similar to those of night terrors, hence the importance of having a specialized professional study them and issue a correct final diagnosis.
Treatment of night terrors in adults
There is no specific treatment to cure night terrors in adults, the treatment is usually aimed at improving the quality of the patient's sleep and preventing those distressing episodes from appearing at night. Treatment for night terrors may include the following:
- Psychotherapy: a cognitive-behavioral therapy can be performed, which in some can be combined with taking drugs that help treat the associated symptoms.
- Treatment of medical or mental conditions that may be responsible for the suffering of these nocturnal episodes.
- Reduce stress, anxiety and accumulated tension.
- Performing alternative techniques, such as hypnosis, meditation, yoga, etc.
Tips to avoid night terrors in adults
- Set and maintain a stable bedtime. Try to rest between 7 or 8 hours a day.
- Sleep in a comfortable, quiet and noise-free environment.
- Relax your mind before sleeping, either by doing calming activities or relaxation exercises.
- Do physical exercise during the day to release accumulated tensions and reduce stress. Yoga and Pilates are good disciplines to achieve optimal physical and mental relaxation.
- Avoid consuming stimulant substances during the day or before going to sleep.
- Avoid very large dinners or large meals before sleeping.
- Take a hot bath before bed to relax.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Night terrors in adults: causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical Psychology.