Once she wakes up she has no memory of what scared her. In fact, there was no real event or item that scared her. The child appears to be awake but she is not. As she is so scared she is also asleep. Generally these episodes last from 10 minutes to an hour.
Children fall back asleep after the terror has passed.
They do feel real fear even though they can't put their finger on what caused this extreme reaction. Night terrors have their roots in a number of causes. Stress plays a big role in bringing about this sleeping disorder. Being overtired and not getting sufficient sleep can bring on night terrors. Night terrors also can run in families, if you or your spouse experienced them during your childhood your child may have them too.