Thread: Night Terror Info?

Everything I've read says exactly what you posted, and it is odd that you still have this at age 20.

This is from the Mayo Clinic:

If the sleep terrors are associated with an underlying medical or mental health condition or another sleep disorder, treatment is aimed at the underlying problem. If stress or anxiety seems to be contributing to the sleep terrors, your doctor may suggest meeting with a therapist or counselor. Cognitive behavior therapy, hypnosis, biofeedback and relaxation therapy may help.

Medication is rarely used to treat sleep terrors, particularly for children. If necessary, however, use of benzodiazepines or some antidepressants may help reduce sleep terrors.

Make the environment safe. To help prevent injury, close and lock all windows and exterior doors at night. You might even lock interior doors or place alarms or bells on the doors. Block doorways or stairways with a gate, and move electrical cords or other objects that pose a tripping hazard. If your child has sleep terrors, don't let him or her sleep in a bunk bed. Place any sharp or fragile objects out of reach.
Get more sleep. Fatigue can contribute to sleep terrors. Try an earlier bedtime or a more regular sleep schedule.
Establish a regular, relaxing routine before bedtime. Do quiet, calming activities — such as reading books, doing puzzles or soaking in a warm bath — before bed. Meditation or relaxation exercises may help, too.
Put stress in its place. Identify the things that stress you out, and brainstorm possible ways to handle the stress. If your child seems anxious or stressed, talk about what's bothering him or her.
Look for a pattern. If your child has sleep terrors, keep a sleep diary. For several nights, note how many minutes after bedtime a sleep terror episode occurs. If the timing is fairly consistent, wake your child about 15 minutes before you expect a sleep terror episode. Keep your child awake for five minutes, and then let him or her fall asleep again.

Above all, be positive. However disruptive, sleep terrors aren't a serious condition - and they usually go away on their own.

That's a fairly comprehensive treatment plan and is echoed all over the web.

What have you tried, what helped and what failed?

I have tried relaxation techniques, but I'm not sure how they help because i only have them about once a week...and I still have them. I do know what usually causes them, either stress, sleeping too much or too little during the day, and the number one cause....sleeping in a different place then my own bed. Yep, staying the night at someone house, or being on vacation causes me to have one. I'm on a fairly regular sleep pattern as far as when I go to bed and when I get up, its not perfect but it is regular. I don't mind them really, its just it affect the people around me when I sleep, and when I am on vacation I have been known to hurt myself in the unfamiliar environment. Also if I get married I don't want to trample my wife.

Hmmm....rough break.

It sounds like you already try some of the most important steps. Reducing stressful influences and relaxation are mentioned everywhere.

Lucid dreaming has been used to treat nightmares (I know this isn't nightmares) by confronting the unpleasant images and turning them into something else. I wonder if the same technique could be applied.

A question...are there different rooms where you live that you could sleep in? Have you ever tried sleeping in a room other than your own?

Ever tried melatonin?

I'm interested to know more. I don't see many reports of NT and I am curious to know what you've found helps or what doesn't.

I have slept in different room where I live, no difference really. A friend of mine had melatonine for his insomnia, said it knocked him out, but I have never had any, no.

Something I forgot to mention about what my doctor told me about how these things work. Supposedly my body goes into a deeper state of sleep than normal people, as in VERY deep down. This makes my brain think that my body is dying so it does one of two things, releases my bladder (bed wetting) or shoots a burst of adrenaline through my system to wake me up. Luckly I get the adrenaline burst, but it causes me to wake up screaming and running. I'm not running from a bad dream as most people think, it just triggers the fight or flight response, and well, I'm more of a flight guy. Thats all I know from what the doc said.

So I'm not sure if the Lucid dreaming would work, if what the doctor says is true then I might not be dreaming at all....or I might be who knows, I don't remember either way.

Have you ever looked into a sleep study?

I know you mention having these episodes whenever you are not in your own bed so it's likely you will get results.

But it would require looking into and unless you are close to a city or university it might involve expense.

I was looking on the web recently and found the Sleep Research Center at Harvard. Would you like a link to them? A lot of good people on staff there.

Just trying to think out loud.

Well thing is I prob can't afford that. Doc said itd be a good idea, but I'm on my parents insurence till I'm 28 (or something like that) and its not the best around. If I knew it wasnt going to cost much I'd jump right at it, but I wouldnt think itd be cheap.

If it's through a university it might not be costly at all.

If a doctor/psychologist diagnoses a medical need then insurance might pay for that.

I'm only saying it would be a good thing to look into even if it turns out you can't afford it now. At the same time working on sleep schedule/stress on your end can hopefully help you reduce the frequency of NTs so you can enjoy time away from home or with friends.

Originally Posted by SirMathias

the number one cause....sleeping in a different place then my own bed. Yep, staying the night at someone house, or being on vacation causes me to have one.

Wow, Mom's sleep terrors were triggered by the exact same thing -- sleeping in a place outside of her usual home.

Wow, I thought I was the only one, lol. When I was a kid I had night terrors regularly, running up and down the hallway screaming and scaring the crap out of my family (my mom isn't religious but she almost thought I was possessed for a little bit haha) but it eventually tapered off until it came back in my late teens. This time it was just weird though.

I'd walk around like a zombie, claw at my moms door saying things like "Mom's in the floor" or just go sit down on the couch or wander around until my mom would tell me to go to bed. On the outside it probably looked more like sleep walking, but to me I was somewhat conscious and terrified, never knew of what and I'd wake up with still pictures in my mind of weird things like a house or a boat from a birds-eye (or isometric if you know of it) view. The floor thing was funny just because it really freaked my older brother out.

They eventually went away, and I never got looked at.

I think you have a heart problems. That's what people with heart problems experience. You thought you are chased by monsters but the turt is you are gasping for your breath.

Melanieb mentioned something interesting when talking about the Mayo Clinic study. She said ..."treatment is aimed at the underlying problem." Underlying problems that can cause nightmares (and I would think night terrors) include personal crisis, a traumatic experience, illness and chemicals. If any of these are issues, if you could get these resolved, it might it might take care of the problem.

My friend suffer from night terror, sudden he start to shouting while sleeping....what should he do?