Night terrors involve repeated awakenings from deep sleep by intense fear, usually beginning with a cry or scream of panic; as with other NREM sleep arousal episodes, these are most likely to occur in the first third of the night, during slow-wave sleep. Episodes typically begin with the individual abruptly sitting up in bed and screaming or crying. A night terror generally lasts 1-10 minutes but some children may experience significantly longer episodes.
The behavioral manifestation of a night terror is driven by intense fear and, often, a sense of dread and an urge to escape. The individual experiencing it will have a frightened expression and display signs of intense anx­iety like sweating or rapid breathing. The person is difficult to awaken or comfort and if they do awaken or are awakened, they will generally remember very little about the experience, although older children and adults are increasingly likely to recall the fearful images sometimes associated with night terrors. (Episodes usually don’t involve complete stories as dreams or nightmares might.)