Night terrors in adults: symptoms, causes and treatment

These are the characteristics of night terrors when this disorder occurs in adults.

Suffering from night terrors is often associated with childhood. Many children suffer from these episodes, in which they start screaming, hitting and have a very bad night, scaring and worrying their parents with their sobs.

However, although it is not usual, some adults can suffer from these episodes. They usually present the same symptoms as in children, although the causes may be associated with psychological problems and do not disappear on their own, unlike in childhood.

Next we are going to talk about night terrors in adults, what are the main causes that can be behind them, what consequences they have on the life of the person who has them, and what are the consequences in the life of the person who presents them, their treatment and their key symptoms.

How are night terrors in adults?

The night terrors constitute a disorder of the dream in which the person who suffers from them wakes up abruptly, terrified and distressed..

They are so frightened that they scream loudly, alerting people in the same household unit. She feels her Heart racing, she is drenched in sweat and feels confused because she does not remember what has happened.

Typically, when you experience one of these episodes, you are not aware of your surroundings, although you may kick and punch, hurting yourself and others. These episodes usually last from 10 to 20 minutes and, as soon as they are over, the sufferers go back to sleep. These episodes usually occur during the deep phase of sleep and occur most frequently during the first half of sleep.

What causes these sleep disturbances?

Night terrors are a sleep problem that usually occurs during childhood and eventually disappears as you get older. However, they can also occur during adulthood, can also occur during adulthood and do not disappear on their own..

Often, these problems manifest themselves when the patient has gone through a period of great stress or is manifesting some psychological problem, both associated with his personality and recent experiences. The main causes behind these episodes are:

• Stress and emotional tension
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Fatigue and lack of sleep

Many people with post-traumatic stress disorder suffer from these types of episodes.. They can also occur in people with other anxiety disorders and those related to trauma and stressors. They can also manifest themselves in periods of many changes and high stress, such as the loss of a loved one, having lived through an accident, going through a separation or having recently been diagnosed with an illness.

Another cause that may explain the onset of night terrors in adults is family history. It is suspected that there could be a hereditary cause in their manifestation, since having direct relatives who have experienced them increases the probability of suffering this problem.

Finally, as a cause of these episodes we also have high fever and the consumption of substances, whether medicines or drugs. Drugs, substances such as alcohol and fever can alter the phases of sleep, making them deeper and increasing the risk of sleep apnea.making them deeper and increasing the probability of night terrors in adults.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms of night terrors. In order to know if you are experiencing these episodes, it is necessary to check if any of the following symptoms have occurred:

• Waking up suddenly screaming, terrified and very distressed.
• Waking up with a feeling of being in danger.
• Feeling confused when waking up
• Not remembering what happened during the night
• They have tried to reassure us and wake us up but have not succeeded.

If you have had any of these symptoms, you may suspect an episode of night terrors.. Likewise, there are many other symptoms associated with this sleep disorder. Usually, in an episode of night terror the person feels very unpleasant sensations, visualizes negative images while asleep and may talk, moan, scream, sob and cry.

Another symptom associated with this condition is that the person moves excessively while sleeping.. This puts you at risk of injury, hurting the person sleeping next to you, and even falling out of bed. When you wake up, you will find yourself screaming, very distressed and terrified, all sweaty, hyperventilating and with an accelerated heart rate. You will feel confused and disoriented.

Sleepwalking episodes may occur. The affected person may sleep with open eyes and may even sleepwalk. He does not react to attempts by people around him to wake him up and reassure him. Upon awakening, he/she will most likely not remember anything that has happened.

Consequences

Night terrors, being a sleep disorder, affect the quality of sleep. The person does not sleep well, which is noticed the next day in the form of tiredness, lack of mood and fatigue. This causes a lot of frustration, which can lead to depression and other psychological problems when wanting to rest and not being able to.

The person may develop insomnia because they fear that when they fall asleep they will have another episode and hurt themselves or a loved one. and harm themselves or a loved one.

This insomnia and daytime sleepiness typical of night terrors not only affect the person affected, but also his or her immediate environment. When she suffers the episodes, screaming, moving violently and even pacing causes people at home to wake up, make efforts to calm her down and stay awake all night in fear that the affected person will get hurt.

When should help be sought?

Episodes of nocturnal terror, if they occur sporadically and are associated with temporary problems, need not be a warning sign. On the other hand, if they begin to be frequent, as they affect the energies of the affected person, it is necessary to see a professional to try to solve this problem.

In addition, the physical integrity of the patient and his or her immediate environment is at risk, making it necessary in some cases to be admitted to sleep clinics to monitor the episode in a safe environment.

Treatment of night terrors in adults

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment to cure night terrors in adults. Treatment focuses on improving the quality of the patient's sleep.The treatment focuses on improving the quality of the patient's sleep, trying to reduce the frequency of the episodes and their effects on the mood of the affected person. Psychotherapy and the use of drugs are usually the first option with the intention of addressing this problem.

The psychotherapist will try to find out what are the psychological problems that explain the occurrence of the episode, such as stress, depression, having suffered a trauma or any mental and emotional problems that may be related to this sleep disorder. Drugs can be used to reduce the symptoms associated with this condition, such as lack of energy and insomnia.

Although they are not as effective as psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, the use of techniques such as hypnosis, different types of meditation and yoga could reduce the frequency and severity of episodes. Doing sports also helps, both to prevent these episodes and to soften them, although they are not as effective a therapeutic route as psychological therapy and medication.

It is essential that, whether or not you have experienced this type of episodes, you have a good sleep hygiene.. It is necessary to go to bed between 10 and 12 pm, sleeping 7 to 9 hours and not to consume stimulating substances from the afternoon onwards. Alcohol and other drugs that can affect the quality and regularity of sleep should be avoided.

Bibliographic references:

• Guzman,, C.; Wang, Y (2008). Sleep terror disorder: A case report. Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria 115 (11): 169. doi:10.1590/S1516-44462008000200016.
• Szelenberger, W.; Niemcewicz, S., & Dąbrowska, A. (2005). Sleepwalking and night terrors: Psychopathological and psychophysiological correlates. International Review of Psychiatry 32 (12): 263-270. doi:10.1080/09540260500104573.