Sleep Terror Disorder Is Characterized By Extremes of Terror
Sleep terror disorder is characterized by extremes of terror as well as a temporary inability to get to full consciousness. Any person that suffers from this debilitating disease is abruptly woken from the fourth stage of sleep, and such waking up is accompanied by gasping, moaning as well as screaming. Often, the patient is not able to be woken completely, though after the episode, he or she will get back to normal sleep without further waking. Sometimes, the patient is able to recall the night terror episode if it occurs, in most instances, during non-REM sleep.
Distinct from Nightmares
Sleep terror disorders are not the same as having a nightmare and is distinct in several key ways. To begin with, the subject cannot fully awaken when roused, and even after waking, may continue to feel and experience the sleep terror for another ten to twenty minutes. And, it also occurs during the deepest level of non-REM sleep, which is not the case with nightmares. Also, upon waking, the patient will be unable to remember the episode except for feeling a sense of panic. In the case of nightmares, the patient is able to recall whatever transpired.
Sleep terror disorder is unlike nightmares, not dreams; rather, it is an emotion of fear that the person feels which may also be coupled with tension as well as apprehension. Also there are no distinct sounds or visual imagery. Every episode of sleep terror disorder is, in most cases, different; though a strong sense of danger is most often experienced by the same person over several different episodes.
Children of two to six years of age are also prone to experience sleep terror disorders, and it is believed, that almost 15 per cent of youngsters are affected. There can be many triggers though emotional stress on the previous day as well as high fever contributes in no small measure to having an attack, which can be controlled, to a certain extent, by getting the right amount of sleep.
To treat sleep terror disorder, doctors are required to be gentle, should dispose of anything close at hand that can cause injury to the patient as well as also avoid loud voices or movements that can frighten the patient further. Persons affected by this sleep disease are not even aware that they are experiencing sleep terror disorders.
Of the many that suffer sleep terror disorders, some famous names include H.R. Giger and H.P Lovecraft. Also, singer Gerard Way, the frontman for a New Jersey band called My Chemical Romance has also confessed to experiencing sleep terror while he was recording the track called “Sleep” from their new album The Black Parade.
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