Pavor nocturnus

Pavor nocturnus is the medical term for a sleep disorder. It is particularly evident in children and is also known as the night terrors.

What is pavor nocturnus?

A typical symptom of pavor nocturnus is a loud cry, which the child utters two to three hours after falling asleep. In addition, side effects such as rapid breathing, palpitations and cold sweats occur.
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The term Pavor nocturnus comes from Latin and means "nightly fear". The sleep disorder is also called Night terrors or Night terrors designated. Pavor nocturnus is one of the parasomnias (abnormalities during sleep) and occurs primarily in small children or school children.

In some cases, however, adults suffer from this sleep problem for the rest of their lives. It is not uncommon for the night terrors to be associated with sleepwalking or speaking in your sleep, but are generally considered harmless. Between one and six percent of all children suffer from Pavor nocturnus. The sleep disorder usually occurs in families.

The night terrors appear most frequently between the ages of 5 and 7. Pavor nocturnus occurs only rarely after puberty. The disease is more common in boys than in women. However, no more than one percent of all affected children suffer from night terrors more than once a week. Babies are very rarely affected by the sleep disorder.

causes

The reasons for the pavor nocturnus have not yet been determined. Medicine classifies the night terrors as a mental disorder. However, the sleep disorder is not a mental illness. A faulty upbringing has nothing to do with the phenomenon.

The affected children wake up from sleep when there is a disruption of the alternation between deep sleep and dream sleep. In a certain sense, the nervous system is over-excited. Special maturation processes within the central nervous system are also considered to be possible triggers of the night terrors. In most cases, the pavor nocturnus in children resolves on its own over time.

Adults who experience night terrors experience an unusually large number of deep sleep phases. Doctors see this as an indication of a family disposition. There are also some risk factors that can have a positive effect on the occurrence of pavor nocturnus.

Apart from family influences, this includes psychological and physical stress such as lack of sleep, high stress, the use of certain medications, special experiences, sleeping in an unfamiliar environment or fever. If a child is unable to sleep for one night, it is possible that they will go into deep sleep the next night, increasing the risk of night terrors.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

A typical symptom of pavor nocturnus is a loud cry, which the child utters two to three hours after falling asleep. In addition, side effects such as rapid breathing, palpitations and cold sweats occur. Although the affected child appears anxious, it can neither be spoken to nor woken up.

Sometimes the child's eyes are wide open or even straighten up, but they still do not wake up. In extreme cases, the child jumps out of bed and runs away without paying attention to their surroundings, which can lead to injuries.

Normal sleep usually resumes about 15 minutes after this process. The next morning the children have no memory of the night terrors. Although most parents are very concerned about the pavor nocturnus, the sleep disorder is not considered dangerous to the child's health. Since there is usually no memory of the process, there are no psychological disorders.

Diagnosis & course of disease

If the pavor nocturnus occurs only occasionally, there is no need to worry. However, if the night terrors appear more frequently than once a week between the ages of 6 and 7 years, it is recommended to consult a doctor. When making a diagnosis, the doctor must make a distinction between Pavor nocturnus and other sleep disorders.

Above all, these can be nightmares that have effects similar to the night terrors. An examination in a sleep laboratory is considered effective. To diagnose pavor nocturnus, the doctor asks how the child behaves during the night, at what time the night terrors occur, whether there are memories of the event and how often it occurs.

Any previous illnesses such as epilepsy are also of interest. The doctor obtains his information from the parents or outside persons. In most cases the pavor nocturnus is positive because it disappears by itself over time. Medical treatment may also be required in some cases. In some people, the night terrors persist into adulthood.

Complications

Pavor nocturnus can be associated with significant sleep disorders. These occur mainly in children and can lead to severe psychological complaints or depression. Furthermore, the development of the child can be clearly disturbed and delayed. Those affected suffer from palpitations and cold sweats at night.

Rapid breathing can also occur. In most cases, the children cry out in their sleep and suffer from confusion and anxiety. During the day, the children are mostly tired because they have not received enough sleep. This leads to concentration problems. The child can also injure themselves at night with this disease. The children themselves no longer remember the cry in their sleep.

However, the relatives and parents in particular suffer from the psychological complaints of pavor nocturnus. A direct and causal treatment of the pavor nocturnus is usually not possible. Avoiding stress can reduce the discomfort. The child may also need psychological treatment. It cannot be predicted whether this will lead to a positive course of the disease.

When should you go to the doctor?

Anyone who wakes up again and again and notices anxiety and physical symptoms such as cold sweat or a rapid pulse should consult a doctor. Parents who notice corresponding sleep disorders in their child are best advised to speak to the pediatrician. The Pavor Nocturnus is basically harmless, but should be diagnosed so that the person concerned can be relieved of fear.

For children, a visit to a sleep laboratory is recommended, where patients can find out the causes of night anxiety and thus often reduce it. If the sleep problems occur in connection with sleepwalking and other disorders, drug treatment is sometimes useful. The administration of light sedatives and other preparations can reduce the pavor nocturnus and any accompanying symptoms.

This reduces the likelihood of panic attacks, accidents and other complications. The night terrors are diagnosed and treated by a neurologist or a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Those affected can first speak to their family doctor, who can often make a suspected diagnosis based on the anamnesis and thus give the patient an orientation for further measures.

Treatment & Therapy

Therapy for pavor nocturnus is rarely required in childhood. In most cases, psychotherapeutic measures are then taken to reduce stress, because it promotes nocturnal seizures. It is important that the child relaxes, keeps regular bedtime and has a safe sleeping environment.

The night terrors are particularly stressful in adulthood. In this case, relaxation methods such as progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training make sense. Behavioral therapy is also considered helpful in order to calmly deal with the sleep disorder. Medicines are only occasionally prescribed for the treatment of Pavor nocturnus.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medication for sleep disorders

Outlook & forecast

The sleep disorder occurs in most cases in toddlers or school children. The prognosis for these patients is almost always favorable.There is a temporary irregularity in sleep that occurs primarily between the ages of five and seven and ends in spontaneous recovery. The disturbances last for a few months or years and disappear in the course of the development process as suddenly as they occurred. It can happen that relapses occur repeatedly until adulthood. These are short-term and are usually not a cause for concern.

The prognosis worsens for those affected who suffer from long-term sleep disorders. In adults in particular, it can lead to considerable impairments in the daily coping with obligations. As soon as interruptions in sleep are of sustained duration and intensity, further health problems can be expected. Subsequent disorders due to emotional stress occur, so that intensive medical care is necessary in order to alleviate the symptoms.

Psychological support is usually required so that improvements can be documented. Many sufferers choose drug support without adequate medical consultation. This creates an increased risk of complications. In addition, an increase in further health irregularities is to be expected.

prevention

There are no known preventive measures against pavor nocturnus. So far, the exact causes of the sleep disorder have not been found.

Aftercare

Due to the pavor nocturnus, those affected suffer from various sleep disorders. These occur mainly in children and can lead to severe psychological complaints or even depression. Furthermore, the development of the child can be clearly disturbed and delayed. Those affected suffer from palpitations and cold sweats at night.

Rapid breathing can also occur. In most cases, the children cry out in their sleep and suffer from confusion and anxiety. During the day, the children are mostly tired from the pavor nocturnus because they have not received enough sleep. This leads to concentration problems. The child can also injure themselves at night with this disease.

However, the relatives and parents in particular suffer from the psychological complaints of pavor nocturnus. A direct and causal treatment of the pavor nocturnus is usually not possible. By avoiding stress, the symptoms can be reduced. The child may also need psychological treatment. It cannot be predicted whether this will lead to a positive course of the disease.

You can do that yourself

People who suffer from insomnia should monitor and optimize their sleep hygiene. The choice of mattress and sleeping utensils must be adapted to the needs of the body. The ambient temperature during night sleep should not be too cold or too warm. Adequate oxygen supply is important and ambient noise must be minimized.

No meals, sugary foods, or products containing caffeine should be consumed a few hours before going to bed. The intake of fluids should also be slowly minimized at the end of the day so that waking up due to going to the toilet can be excluded. A regular sleep-wake cycle and adequate sleep are helpful. The organism works in certain rhythms that should be adhered to for optimal regeneration of the body. With a lack of sleep, health impairments occur that go beyond sleep problems. A stay in a sleep laboratory can be helpful and bring new knowledge.

Since children mainly suffer from pavor nocturnus, they should not be left unattended at night. Sleeping in your own bed with quick access to the parents' bedroom is recommended. If the child wakes up during the night, soothing words are helpful. Stress, hectic rush or criticism should be avoided. In order to be able to resume the night sleep as quickly as possible, care and understanding help the child.