Night Terrors
Night terrors (or sleep terrors, the medical term being pavor nocturnus) are a form of parasomnia, a sleep disorder not related to dreaming. Night terrors can occur as a result of prolonged stress, but they are also a rather common childhood experience.
To witness night terror as a parent or family member can be a rather terrifying experience: The sleeper might sit up, open their eyes, scream and even walk in their sleep, yet remain asleep the whole time. Usually, upon awakening the sufferer does not remember having had a night terror. All what remains from the night terror is a lingering feeling of uneasiness, tiredness, and difficulty to find comfort. Witnesses are advised not to awaken the sufferer in any abrupt way. It is important to avoid loud noises, or make movements that might further frighten the sleeper (including hugging) and to dispose of anything nearby that might hurt the sleeper. Gently talking to them can help to end the night terror. It is best to use language that is re-assuring no matter how it is interpreted.
When night terrors occur in childhood, they are – no matter how unpleasant the experience is – usually harmless. In most cases the child simply “grows out of them”. Especially until the age of seven, night terrors are treated as part of a natural development mechanism and is not interfered with. Night terrors often run in families, which suggest that they can be of genetic origin.
Night terrors in adults can be the result of emotional tension, stress and conflicts, alcohol and withdrawal from addictive drugs, certain medications, and even things like playing video games before bed-time.
If experienced in later years or adulthood, hypnotherapy can help with night terrors. In the hypnotic session the client is taken into a deep trance, which produces a similar brainwave state in which night terrors occurs. Thus, night terrors are treated on the same level on which they occur, which makes it an especially powerful form of therapy. Hypnotherapy is an ideal alternative to using medication (like anti-depressants), because those can be successful in treating the symptom, however they also disturb the deep dream state, in which the body repairs itself.
Please check with your doctor, if you have medicine prescribed already and you are thinking of interrupting their use.
For further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
To witness night terror as a parent or family member can be a rather terrifying experience: The sleeper might sit up, open their eyes, scream and even walk in their sleep, yet remain asleep the whole time. Usually, upon awakening the sufferer does not remember having had a night terror. All what remains from the night terror is a lingering feeling of uneasiness, tiredness, and difficulty to find comfort. Witnesses are advised not to awaken the sufferer in any abrupt way. It is important to avoid loud noises, or make movements that might further frighten the sleeper (including hugging) and to dispose of anything nearby that might hurt the sleeper. Gently talking to them can help to end the night terror. It is best to use language that is re-assuring no matter how it is interpreted.
When night terrors occur in childhood, they are – no matter how unpleasant the experience is – usually harmless. In most cases the child simply “grows out of them”. Especially until the age of seven, night terrors are treated as part of a natural development mechanism and is not interfered with. Night terrors often run in families, which suggest that they can be of genetic origin.
Night terrors in adults can be the result of emotional tension, stress and conflicts, alcohol and withdrawal from addictive drugs, certain medications, and even things like playing video games before bed-time.
If experienced in later years or adulthood, hypnotherapy can help with night terrors. In the hypnotic session the client is taken into a deep trance, which produces a similar brainwave state in which night terrors occurs. Thus, night terrors are treated on the same level on which they occur, which makes it an especially powerful form of therapy. Hypnotherapy is an ideal alternative to using medication (like anti-depressants), because those can be successful in treating the symptom, however they also disturb the deep dream state, in which the body repairs itself.
Please check with your doctor, if you have medicine prescribed already and you are thinking of interrupting their use.
For further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.