To Name : To Email : From Name : From Email : Comments :   Sleep
terrors in adults: How to help control this potentially
dangerous condition  Vol. 11, No. 09 / September 2012  Sleep
terrors (STs)—also known as night terrors—are characterized by
sudden arousal accompanied by a piercing scream or cry in the
first few hours after falling asleep. These parasomnias arise
out of slow-wave sleep (stages 3 and 4 of nonrapid eye movement
[non-REM] sleep) and affect approximately 5% of adults.1 The
condition is twice as common in men than women, and usually
affects children but may not develop until adulthood.1  During
STs, a patient may act scared, afraid, agitated, anxious, or
panicky without being fully aware of his or her surroundings.
The episode may last 30 seconds to 5 minutes; most patients
don’t remember the event the next morning. STs may leave
individuals feeling exhausted and perplexed the next day.
Verbalization during the episode is incoherent and a patient’s
perception of the environment seems altered. T