Also known as sleep terrors, these night-time episodes begin when you are fully asleep. It may look as though you have woken up as you show signs of fear, such as calling out, crying or sitting up in bed. However, you tend not to wake up during these episodes so it can be difficult to remember them. There are further symptoms of night terrors, such as:
- Rapid breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Confusion
- Not making any sense
- Screaming
- Thrashing around
- Aggression
- Sweating
Usually occurring during stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid eye movement sleep, it is uncommon for night terrors to last more than a few minutes and you usually fall asleep shortly afterwards. The difference between night terrors and nightmares is that you are very unlikely to remember a night terror.
Triggers for night terrors can include:
- Depression
- Sleep apnoea
- Restless leg syndrome
- Fatigue
- Sleep deprivation
- Medications
- Alcohol
- Fever
So, what can you do about them?
Establish good sleep hygiene
Getting enough good quality sleep might be the key to stopping your night terrors. Go to bed at the same time every day, avoid using electronic devices before bed, meditate, take a bath and avoid caffeine late in the day.
Wake up
By tracking your sleep patterns, it will become easy to establish whether your night terrors happen at the same time. If they do, ask someone to wake up before they are likely to occur, or set an alarm to wake up before the night terror starts.
Go to bed earlier
Sleep deprivation can be a trigger for night terrors, so combat this by getting to bed 20 minutes earlier than you would usually.
If you would like to find out more about how a REM-Fit Mattress, REM-Fit Sleep Monitoring technology or Zeeq Smart Pillows can help you to get a better night’s rest, please get in touch with our experienced, knowledgeable staff by calling 020 8731 0020 or email us via sales@rem-fit.co.uk.
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