Nightmares A dream causing strong feelings of fear, horror and distress a terrifying or deeply upsetting dream Usually associated with rapid eye movement (REM) periods of sleep, and may be accompanied by physical movements. Night terrors are more than simply a bad dream. A night terror is a form of altered sleep, sometimes called a parasomnia. It is very rare for adults to experience night terrors.
related either to
.........1] physiological causes, such as a high fever, or
........ 2] psychological ones, such as unusual trauma or stress in the sleeper's life.

Treatment of Nightmares Some people have significant psychological problems that are causing bad dreams. It is important to consider psychotherapy to pinpoint major life stressors, past traumatic events and depression that might be causing bad dreams.

If one is taking medications, it is advisable to ask the prescribing physician if the pills might be the culprit.

Chronic nightmares have also been treated by a desensitization method that uses instruction about rehearsal of the nightmare and the imagining of a different ending.

In one study, patients were instructed to select a recent nightmare and write it down, change the nightmare in any way they wished, write down the changed version and rehearse the changed nightmare in an imagery relaxed state. Patients were instructed to rehearse the changed version once a day for three consecutive days after each nightmare or until the nightmare went away.

It was concluded that the use of desensitization or rehearsal techniques can reduce the frequency of nightmares and decrease distress. the child will not wake up - even if their eyes are open, they are not awake and cannot recognise you or communicate with you avoid trying to wake your child as they will become very confused and often frightened the night terror happens earlier in the night during deep sleep night terrors happen earlier in the night - usually in the first four hours of sleep the content of a night terror is usually completely forgotten. the altered state during a night terror is not unlike that seen during sleepwalking and the two conditions can co-exist

night terrors that last longer than 30 minutes should be assessed by a doctor in case medication is required night terrors with associated jerking movements may indicate a form of epilepsy and should be assessed by a doctor night terrors are often more frequent when the child is overly tired - getting into a good and regular sleep routine can be very helpful

Children usually settle back into deep sleep quickly after a night terror - stay with them for ten minutes or so to make sure that they are safe in bed and comfortable.
Neither nightmares nor night terrors are harmful for the child and are simply a reflection of the childs active and developing mind.
With a nightmare
the child will nearly always wake up and be distressed
you can comfort a child after a nightmare, the child can often remember some of the content of the nightmare.
the nightmare usually happens later in the night, the nightmare happens during the light stages sleep.
if your child has had a nightmare then they may be afraid of going back to sleep.

Night Terrors
Definition of Night Terrors
Sleep terror disorder or "night terrors" is a condition that occurs during stages 3 or 4 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. It is characterized by repeated episodes of abrupt awakening, usually with a panicky scream, and accompanied by intense anxiety, confusion, agitation, disorientation, unresponsiveness, marked motor movements, and total amnesia concerning the event.

Description of Night Terrors
Night terrors usually occur 1/2 hour to 3 1/2 hours after falling asleep. During these episodes people wake up sweating heavily, their hearts pounding and eyes glazed over, screaming in fear. They are unaware of their surroundings and unresponsive to attempts to comfort them. They may not calm down for 10 or 15 minutes, although they return to sleep quickly once the episode ends.
Generally they do not remember what scared them, but rarely a person will retain a vague image of something terrifying. A few children and adults who experience night terrors will sleepwalk during the episode.