By Dr James Dobson
Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a boy or girl who was obviously terrified but couldn't tell you why? That child may have just experienced what's known as a "night terror," which is very different from a nightmare.
It's important to understand the difference. If children are awakened in the middle of the night by a nightmare, they can usually describe the story and tell you what was so scary about it. Then they can be comforted and tucked in for the rest of the night.
But youngsters in the midst of night terrors usually can't be brought to consciousness, even though they may sit up straight in bed with their eyes open.
It appears that night terrors occur in what is known as Stage Four sleep, which is deeper and farther from consciousness than any other human experience. Nightmares, on the other hand, occur in Stage Three sleep, which means they're closer to consciousness.
The good news is that there appear to be no physical or psychological problems associated with night terrors. You can, in fact, prevent them with a mild dose of medication. However, most physicians don't recommend doing that unless they're disturbing the parents' Stage Four sleep.
From TODAY, Voices – Wednesday, 27-May-2009
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