The Scary Dreams Keeping Kids Awake at Night BY AUSTRIA COHN
H ave you ever found yourself trapped in a twilight zone between wakefulness and sleep, unable to move or speak while eerie shadows surround you? Or perhaps you’ve been jolted awake by blood-curdling screams echoing in the dead of night, only to realize it’s all in your head? Whether you, your child, a family member, or a friend has ever experienced something like this, you have stepped into the realm of night terrors and sleep paralysis. While it’s common for children to have irrational fears, like monsters under the bed or ghosts lurking in the closet, fear of sleep itself due to night terrors and sleep paralysis is a genuine concern. These sleep disorders can significantly impact daily life, leaving individuals sleep-deprived and fearful of closing their eyes because they might end up in a haunting dream. Navigating the Realm of Sleep Disorders Parasomnias are a group of sleep disorders characterized by unusual behaviors, movements, or experiences that occur during sleep or its transition stages. According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), parasomnias include sleepwalking, sleep terrors, sleep talking, and sleep paralysis and are behaviors linked to partial awakening. Most of the time, parasomnias are more often seen in children and will improve as a child gets older, yet some people struggle with these sleep disorders for their entire life. Nightmares vs. Night Terrors & Sleep Paralysis To fully understand night terrors and sleep paralysis, we need to
understand what a nightmare is and how to tell the difference. Keep in mind that there is data on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but many answers have yet to be found on why many of these sleeping disorders occur. Nightmares Nightmares are intense and unsettling dreams that stir up feelings of anxiety and fear while asleep, often causing someone to awaken abruptly in the middle of the night. Even though nightmares are common, they can be terrifying and can affect a person’s day and sleeping habits. According to the Sleep Foundation, nightmares are more commonly experienced during the second half of the night because that is when the most time is spent in REM sleep. “Nightmares may begin in children between 3 and 6 years old and tend to decrease after the age of 10. During the teen and young adult years, girls appear to have nightmares more often than boys do. Some have them as adults or throughout their lives,” explains the Mayo Clinic. Nightmares can happen due to stress or anxiety, trauma or PTSD, sleep deprivation, medications, and substance misuse. Night Terrors Night terrors, or sleep terrors, stand apart from nightmares because of the physical movement an individual will exhibit during their dream and the REM sleep stage the person is in when the episode occurs. Parasomnias can occur during any stage of sleep, but according to the NIH, night terrors occur when the person or child is in a
20 JUNE 2024 | NOLAFAMILY.COM
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