Symptoms
How do we recognize sleep talking, sleep terrors and nightmares? Take a look at some of its symptoms.
Sleep talking (Somniloquy)
During light sleep the talking maybe intelligible. However during deep sleep this may just be gibberish and not easily understood.
There is no said or prescribed time when sleep talking occurs in the sleep cycle. Often when it occurs in the initial phase of sleep, the sleep is not deep and therefore the talking could still be understandable. When sleep deepens, sleep talking may get unintelligible, bordering on gibberish.
Sleep Terrors occur in deep state of sleep, when we do not dream.
Sleep terrors, also called ‘pavor nocturnus’ or night terrors, are the most extreme and dramatic of the parasomnias. This disorder is marked by a sudden arousal and a piercing scream or shouting during the deep states namely the stage III and IV of NREM sleep,when a person does not dream.
During these states, however, there are risks of night terrors. The child rarely remembers the event, although some children have vague recollections of being chased. Night terrors in children produce "fight or flight" responses, and as the child is partially asleep, comforting is not very effective.
The child sits up in bed quite suddenly, screaming uncontrollably or calling for help. Bolting from the bed and attempting to flee the “threat” quickly, follows. Attempts to hold or soothe the child often cause more frenzied activity. The child may call out to his parents, although he fails to recognize them.
Nightmares are vivid frightening dreams and may start in a child of 18 months.
Nightmares are vivid, frightening dreams that cause people to wake up suddenly, with feelings of fear, anxiety and foreboding. The dream may be recalled vividly, and it is often difficult to fall back asleep after a nightmare.
Children experience more nightmares that adults. Scary dreams start as early as eighteen months, and increase over time. By the age of four or five, many children have nightmares as often as once or twice a week.
Most people experience fewer nightmares as they age but adult nightmares too may occur during times of stress and anxiety, or after a traumatic event.
