Adult night terror

Back to Health A to Z. Many children experience nightmares and night terrors, but most grow out of them. They don't cause any long-term psychological harm to your child. A child having night terrors may scream and thrash around, and may not recognise you if you try to comfort them. Your child won't be fully awake during these episodes and will have no memory of it the next morning.

You might call out, cry, move around, or show other signs of fear and agitation. Most people fall right back asleep after a night terror. An estimated 2 percent of adults also experience night terrors. Read on to learn more about night terrors in adults, including their potential causes and how to stop them.

Heather Wright. For most parents, awakening to the sounds of a child screaming is an alarming occurrence, particularly when attempts to comfort your child are met with an unresponsive expression and flailing limbs. While the moments that pass during a night terror may feel long and stressful for a parent, these episodes usually last only a few minutes, afterward your child quickly falls back to sleep, and they will not have any memory of the episode the next morning.

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