The Haunting Hour: Understanding Night Terrors

by Jun 29, 2023Relaxium Sleep, Sleep Tips, Wellness

Jun 29, 2023

Discover the reality of night terrors. Unravel the mysteries behind these unsettling episodes and gain insights into their causes, effects, and potential remedies. Dive into the realm of sleep disorders and learn how to navigate the nightmarish experiences that disrupt your peaceful slumber. 

Sleep is typically a time of rest, tranquility, and rejuvenation. However, for some individuals, the night can become a realm of unsettling and vivid nightmares known as night terrors. These haunting episodes can leave you feeling shaken, confused, and fearful, disrupting your sleep and impacting your overall well-being.

In this blog, we will delve into the enigmatic world of night terrors, exploring their causes, symptoms, and potential remedies. Join us as we shed light on these mysterious nocturnal experiences and empower you with the knowledge to navigate the haunting hour with understanding and peace of mind.

What are night terrors?

Night terrors are a kind of parasomnia sleep disorder where a person will undergo intense fear and emotional distress during sleep. They typically occur during NREM sleep as opposed to nightmares which occur during REM sleep. A person will typically not remember having a night terror. They will occur within the first few hours of sleep and can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. 

What are the symptoms of night terror?

Understanding that night terrors and nightmares are not the same is important. Symptoms of night terrors include:

  • Abrupt awakening: A person experiencing night terror may suddenly sit up in bed or bolt upright. Gasping or screaming may also occur. 
  • Intense fear and panic: A person will experience an overwhelming sense of fear, panic, or anxiety when dealing with a night terror. It may be hard to explain or understand and it can result in feelings of impending doom.
  • Physical manifestations: Night terrors can include physical symptoms such as rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and even sweating. These can come from the fear of night terror. 
  • Limited or no memory: Typically, an individual will be unable to recall what they experienced in a night terror. They may have a vague recollection but typically the person will not be able to give a detailed explanation of what they experienced. 
  • Limited responsiveness: A person experiencing a night terror will typically be unresponsive to any attempts of communication or comfort. Confusion, disorientation, and even detachment are common responses following night terror. 
  • Lack of recall: Individuals who experience night terrors will often have no memory of the episode or will only have a vague sense of uneasiness or disturbance during the night. 

gasping or screaming

How to deal with night terrors

Since night terrors are distressing and can affect your quality of sleep, which then affects your quality of life. There are changes that can be made to try to resolve night terrors. These include:

  • Practicing good sleep hygiene
  • Minimizing stress and anxiety
  • Ensure safety
  • Address underlying factors 
  • Seeking professional help

Practicing good sleep hygiene 

Sleep hygiene is creating habits that are promoting quality sleep. This also includes avoiding habits that are damaging to sleep such as:

  • Drinking caffeine too close to bedtime
  • Limiting technology before bed
  • Avoiding stimulating activities before bed
  • Irregular sleep schedule

Knowing this, find some good habits you can get into so you can promote better sleep. Examples of this include:

  • Creating a comfortable sleep environment
  • Avoiding alcohol or stimulants before bed
  • Taking a warm bath or shower
  • Having a consistent sleep schedule

A great task to add to sleep hygiene is taking your Relaxium Sleep. Relaxium Sleep is a sleep supplement that is designed to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and help you to wake up feeling more refreshed and alert. 

Minimizing stress and anxiety 

Stress and anxiety can result in a mindset prone to promoting night terrors. With this in mind, trying to manage stress and anxiety during the day can help to potentially reduce the likelihood of night terrors. 

Consider what makes you feel the most calm and at peace. If you can’t think of some, some of the most popular activities for stress relief include:

  • Meditation
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Listening to calming music/ podcasts

Ensure safety

Because night terrors can involve physical manifestations, it is important that you ensure your sleep environment is safe. This is possible by removing any potentially hazardous or dangerous obstacles from the sleeping area. 

This can include:

  • Secure your windows and doors 
  • Clear pathways
  • Use nightlights
  • Communicate with others that live in the household
  • Installing safety gates

night terrors physical manifestations

Address underlying factors

Factors can trigger night terrors. Factors such as sleep deprivation, medications, or even fevers. It is important to address these possible factors that influence night terrors. 

This can help to alleviate the frequency or severity of the episodes. 

Seeking professional help

If you or someone you love consistently deals with night terrors, and it is significantly impacting your sleep quality and day-to-day activities, consulting a healthcare professional or a therapist is important. 

In some cases, you may need a real diagnosis, as well as an evaluation of underlying conditions. From there tailored treatments can be offered. 

14 night trial

Do not allow night terrors to take over your life

Night terrors are one of the worst things you can endure during sleep. It is important to recognize when it happens and make decisions to better yourself or someone you love for the future. 

Relaxium offers a number of safe and effective supplements that aid in the categories of sleep, calm, focus, and immunity. Created by Clinical Neurologist, Dr. Eric Ciliberti, TryRelaxium.com offers a 30-day Money Back Guarantee trial of Relaxium Sleep to allow our users to truly experience its effects. To try the product today visit our website for more information. 

To restful and healthy days ahead. 

The Relaxium Team 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-terrors/symptoms-causes/syc-20353524

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html#:~:text=Make%20sure%20your%20bedroom%20is,Get%20some%20exercise.

https://mentalhealth.ie/blog/what-can-therapy-do-for-night-terrors-in-adults

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