Chapter 1. Sleep Terror Disorder

Short Description

Every night, six-year-old Hollyís screams bring her mother to her bedside. An hour after the little girl goes to sleep, her cries signal the onset of a night terror. Although her eyes are open, she remains fast asleep. She will not remember the experience in the morning. Hollyís parents describe the experience as predictable yet frightening for them.

Long Description

Every night, six-year-old Holly's screams bring her mother to her bedside. An hour after the little girl goes to sleep, her cries signal the onset of a night terror. Although her eyes are open, she remains fast asleep. She will not remember the experience in the morning. Holly's parents describe the experience as predictable yet frightening for them. Holly invariably cries out for them and, although they cuddle and comfort their daughter throughout the experience, she does not seem to know they are there. Night terrors affect a small percentage of children. Unlike nightmares, they occur during a deep phase of sleep and are not a sign of psychological disturbance or fear. Holly's father reports that sometimes he and his wife can understand what Holly is saying during the night terror. At other times, she is unintelligible. Clearly, the parents find their daughter's sleep disorder to be distressing. Each night, as they wait for their daughter's cry, they are distracted from their conversation with each other and even from watching TV. They have little time to spend with each other. An hour after Holly's night terror, she cries again. However, this time she is awake and eager to get in her parents' bed. Although both mother and father will try to return their daughter to her own bed, sometimes she ends up in her parents' bed and remains there for the night. Her parents finally feel they have some time for themselves.

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