The patient quickly becomes alert and oriented upon awakening. The symptoms are directly caused by a general medical condition or substance use, including medications and drugs of abuse. Some disorders have similar or even the same symptoms. The frequency of episodes is variable both within and among individuals. In many cases three or more nightmares per week are reported.
Children frequently outgrow the disorder.
If it begins in adulthood, however, the disorder often persists for decades. The disorder is reported to be particularly common in people with frequent physical and mental health problems. Night terror is similar to nightmares except that nightmares usually occur during REM sleep and include unpleasant or frightening dreams. If recurrent, nightmares and night terror may be associated with psychological disturbances or severe stress, especially in adults. In many cases, comfort and reassurance are the only treatment required.