Night terrors in children can be caused by stress, fear, anxiety, conflict or even emotional tension.
Night terrors are a sleep disorder in which a person quickly awakens from sleep in a terrified state.
The cause is unknown but night terrors are often triggered by fever, lack of sleep or periods of emotional tension, stress or conflict.
Night terrors can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease.
If they occur infrequently, it's a normal stage of childhood development.
They also can be caused by nightmares.
Night terrors are episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep.
Also known as night terrors, sleep terrors often are paired with sleepwalking.
Like sleepwalking, sleep terrors are considered a parasomnia — an undesired occurrence during sleep.
If you notice that your child's night terrors happen about the same time during the night, you can try something called scheduled awakening.
This simply means that you gently and briefly wake your child about 15 or 20 minutes before she usually has a night terror.
Night terrors usually last around five to 10 minutes and may happen more than once during the same night.
Night terrors aren't dangerous, but they can disrupt your child's sleep.
About half of children have sleep problems that are serious enough for medical help.
It might help ease your anxiety to talk to your child's doctor.
Night terrors in adults can be treated with medications such as an antidepressant called Tofranil or benzodiazepine drugs such as Klonopin or Valium.
Additionally, the doctor may recommend psychotherapy, which is a method of treating emotional problems.