Nightmares Vs Night Terrors: Which One Do You Have?
Nightmares and night terrors are basically the same things, right?
Wrong.
Although they sound like synonyms, they are two different experiences.
In short, nightmares are intense dreams that are easily remembered. They are quite common and are only a mental health condition if they disrupt your life.
On the other hand, night terrors, also called sleep terrors are episodes where you awake from slow-wave sleep. It usually involves extreme stress but you won’t remember your dream when you wake up.
Let’s take a deep dive and look at nightmares vs night terrors, what they are, how they are different, how to help someone experiencing them, and when to talk to a doctor.
Table of Contents
What is a Nightmare
Nightmares are scary dreams that will awaken a dreamer and make them feel afraid. Sometimes the dreamer will feel afraid to fall back asleep and return to the dream. They make the dreamer feel terrified, angry, or disgusted.
People who have nightmares usually remember their dreams easily. Unfortunately, nightmares are quite common but they only qualify as a mental health condition if they disrupt your daytime life.
Nightmares usually happen in the last third of the night during the REM phase of sleep. People experiencing a nightmare will typically wake up on their own in a lucid state. While sleeping, someone experiencing a nightmare will groan and mumble.
In adults, nightmares are quite common. Virtually all adults have had at least one nightmare. Around 35-45% of adults around the world have had at least one nightmare a month. Nightmares become more common with advancing age. Adults will easily remember these dreams, usually with themes of failure, helplessness, and interpersonal conflict.
When it comes to children, nightmares can happen because your child saw or heard things that upset them. These can be actual things that happened or are make-believe. Nightmares often occur in the developmental stages of a child.
Around 75% of kids experience a nightmare in their adolescent years. Nightmares in children usually begin at age 3 and peak around ages 6-10. Children remember these dreams and typically have themes of falling, someone chasing them, or sensing an evil presence.
What is a Night Terror
In contrast, night terrors are sleep disorders. A person quickly awakens from sleep in a terrified state. We don’t really know why night terrors happen, but they often occur concerning a fever, lack of sleep, or periods of emotional tension, stress, or conflict.
Night terrors are like nightmares, except that night terrors happen during the first third of the night.
Common characteristics of a night terror include…
Sudden awakening from sleep
Persistent fear or terror that occurs at night
Screaming
Sweating
Confusion
Rapid heart rate
No recall of bad dreams or nightmares
Unable to fully wake up
Difficult to comfort
Night terrors usually happen because there is some sort of disruption of brain waves while someone sleeps. A major difference between nightmares and sleep terrors is that it is very hard to wake someone up when they are having a night terror. Several minutes of confusion after waking up is common.
1-2% of the adult population report that they had a night terror at some point during adulthood. Night terrors are more common in adults before the age of 25. In terms of content, it is difficult for adults to remember their dream. Some may have a vague recollection of feeling rushed or panicked, but nothing more than that.
In children, night terrors are much more prevalent. 56% of kids ages 13 and under-report experiencing at least one night terror. Night terrors will first start when a child is 18 months old and decreases in frequency with age. In terms of content, it is almost impossible for a child to remember what their dream was about.
What Causes Night Terrors
Common causes of night terrors include…
being very tired or unwell
sudden noises at night or needing to pee during the night
This can affect your deep sleep
something that's frightened you or made you stressed, anxious, or worried
A common example of this is watching a scary movie the day before
These are all things you can control. But night terrors can happen because of things that aren’t in your control.
Several factors can predispose someone to night terrors, including genetics. The HLA-DQB1*05:01 allele shows up more frequently in people who experience sleep terrors regularly.
Family history can also come into play. If you have night terrors, there is a 96% chance that one of your family members has the same experiences. A family member may experience night terrors, bouts of sleepwalking, screaming in their sleep, or a combination of the above.
Sleep disruption and night terrors go hand in hand. Restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, or fever can interrupt deep sleep and change your brainwaves to cause night terror.
Lastly, medication can come into play. Drugs like lithium and sodium oxybate, also known as Xyrem, can deepen your sleep. In turn, this can make night terror episodes more frequent.
How To Help A Child Experiencing a Night Terror
For most people, time heals all wounds. This is true for night terrors because they usually go away in time.
If your child has night terrors or nightmares, there are some things you can do to try and help.
Track how often you have nightmares, night terrors, and regular dreams using your Chartam planner. Track the amount of time spent sleeping and how rested you feel in the morning. Also, make sure to note the intensity of your emotions when you wake up from a nightmare or night terror to see if they are worsening or lessening over time.
When it comes to night terrors specifically as they are happening, try to help your child return to normal sleep. This doesn’t mean waking them up and putting them back to sleep. Make soothing comments while your child is sleeping. Hold your child while they sleep if it seems to help them feel better. Do not shake your child or shout at them because this can worsen the night terror.
Protect your child. During a night terror, a child can fall out of their bed, hit their head against the wall, or break something next to their bed. Try to gently direct your child back to the center of their bed.
Prepare any babysitters or caretakers for these episodes. Explain to people who care for your child about their episodes, what can happen, and what do to if one happens.
Try to prevent night terrors. As I mentioned before, a night terror can happen if someone is overly tired. Be sure your child goes to bed on time and early enough in the evening to give them enough sleep. Younger children may need to return to a daily nap to minimize fatigue.
In many cases, a child who has night terrors only needs comfort and reassurance. Depending on the intensity and frequency of these episodes, you may need to consider psychotherapy or counseling. Medications like Benxodiazepine can reduce night terrors, but medication is not recommended to treat the disorder.
When To Talk To A Doctor
Nightmares and night terror episodes don’t usually pose a problem. However, there is cause for concern if it starts to disrupt your daily life.
You may need to consult a therapist or sleep specialist. But when should you contact a doctor?
If you experience sleep deprivation, consider seeking out support. For adults, sleep deprivation may manifest itself in bouts of moodiness and poor memory. Children are prone to tantrums.
Sleep reluctance is also a concern. Adults may experience insomnia or put off going to sleep. Children may outright refuse to go to bed and put up a fight when forced.
Anxiety from your waking world can spill over into sleep. If you believe underlying stress is affecting your ability to sleep, consider seeking a therapist to treat that anxiety. Child nightmares often center on physical threats like falling if they experience stress. Adult nightmares tend to focus on more abstract, interpersonal issues.
While experiencing a night terror, adults may hit others, damage nearby belongings, or even run into walls and furniture. Young children may hurt themselves against their crib or fall out of bed. If safety is a concern, you should ask for a professional’s opinion.
Conclusion
When determining if you are experiencing nightmares vs night terrors, you could easily mistake one for the other. To reiterate, some of the key differences surround the ability to remember the dream, the intensity of the emotions, how quickly you wake up from your sleep state, and what time of night it happened.
If you still have difficulties determining these differences, we have a tool to help. With a Chartam planner, you can use the customizable indicator log to track symptoms related to nightmares and night terrors. For example, you could ask yourself…
Do I remember my dream?
How intense were my emotions?
What kind of emotions did I have in the dream?
Was I able to wake up from the dream?
Did I break something while asleep?
Did you wake up feeling tired?
By tracking the frequency and intensity of your symptoms, you can effectively communicate with your doctors about the problems you are experiencing. You can see how often you have bad dreams and if it is a cause for medical concern.
