Sleep Talking Sleep Terrors and Nightmares - Treatment

Treatment

The focus of treatment for Sleep Talking, Sleep Terrors, and Nightmares is attention to sleep hygiene, with medications reserved for more severe cases.

Sleep Terrors and Nightmares are considered a part and parcel of growing up. Unless it becomes chronic and affects the sleep cycle, triggering sleep loss, it may not be required to seek medical intervention.

Sleep Talking is more a nuisance and does not cause harm. This can go without therapy.

1.Prevention strategies:

Sleep hygiene methods are crucial to treat parasomnias as it brings about an equilibrium in the sleep patterns. This cuts the risk of suffering sleep disorders

Tips to handle episodes of sleep terrors and nightmare:

A. Nightmares

• Never make the mistake of shaking the child during a nightmare, as an effort to stop the child from shouting. Incase there is a pattern to the nightmare, the child could be woken up � hour before the onset, to disrupt the event and upset the behavior pattern.
• It is imperative to protect the child from falling or getting hurt.
• Engage in healthy positive conversation before the child drifts to sleep.
• Create a positive mental picture of the transitory nature of night terrors to calm the child.

B. Night terrors

• Comfort is key to relieve fear and stress.
• Emphasize that the terror was only a dream best forgotten.
• Interaction is vital to provide a feeling of security.

2. Behavioral therapy

Use of self-hypnosis techniques can be effective in milder cases of sleep terrors and nightmares, in both adults and children.

Cognitive behavior therapy which alters a person's established behavioral patterns in favor of more positive behavior, can reduce nightmare incidents. Adults can also benefit from cognitive behavior therapy, especially those whose nightmares can be traced to post-traumatic stress disorder.

In adults, medications may be required. Long-term, once-a-night treatment with a drug containing benzodiazepine has been found to be safely effective. 0.25 to 1.5 mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin), taken 1 hour before sleep onset, is usually effective.

References:

1. Sleepwalking - (http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3131.htm)
2. How regular exercise helps - (http://www.dreamdoctor.com/better/walking/)
3. Nightmares and Disorders of Dreaming - (http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/2037.html)