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Sleep Terrors

Muna Irfan1

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, 1816 Ellie Court, Eagan, MN 55122, USA.

Sleep Medicine Clinics
|February 17, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Sleep terrors are arousal disorders common in children but can affect adults. Management focuses on behavioral strategies and addressing triggers, with medication used sparingly for severe episodes.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Sleep terrors are disorders of arousal, primarily affecting the pediatric population.
  • While often self-limited, they can persist into adulthood or manifest in adults.
  • These episodes are linked to increased homeostatic sleep drive and sleep fragmentation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of sleep terrors.
  • To outline current management strategies for sleep terrors.
  • To differentiate sleep terrors from other sleep disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on sleep terrors.
  • Analysis of clinical features and neurophysiological findings.
  • Evaluation of behavioral and pharmacological treatment approaches.

Main Results:

  • Sleep terrors involve a dissociated state of sleep with mixed brain activity (slow and fast waves).
  • Episodes present as abrupt partial arousals from N3 or N2 sleep, characterized by intense fear, crying, and autonomic hyperactivity.
  • There is typically no dream recall, though fragmented imagery may occur.

Conclusions:

  • Behavioral management, including addressing precipitating factors, family reassurance, safety, and scheduled awakenings, is crucial.
  • Pharmacological interventions like clonazepam and antidepressants are reserved for infrequent, disruptive cases.

Keywords:
Disorder of arousalNight terrorsNon-REM parasomniaPavor nocturnusSleep terrors

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