night terror
C1Medical/Clinical, Everyday (when discussing health/parenting)
Definition
Meaning
A sudden episode of intense fear, screaming, and physical agitation during sleep, distinct from a nightmare, often with no recall of the event.
A severe sleep disorder, most common in children, characterized by abrupt awakenings from non-REM sleep with panic symptoms. Can also be used metaphorically to describe a period of extreme anxiety or dread.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A 'night terror' is a specific parasomnia, not simply a bad dream. The person is typically unresponsive during the event and has amnesia afterward. Contrast with 'nightmare', which is a disturbing dream recalled upon waking.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use 'night terror' as the standard term.
Connotations
Identical clinical and colloquial connotations.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties within medical and parental contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] has/had a night terror.[Subject] experiences night terrors.A night terror woke [object].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Potentially metaphorical: 'The market crash was a night terror for investors.'
Academic
Used in psychology, psychiatry, and paediatric literature to describe the specific sleep disorder.
Everyday
Commonly used by parents describing a child's sleep issues. Also used metaphorically for a deeply frightening experience.
Technical
A clinical term in sleep medicine (ICSD-3 classification) for a disorder of arousal from N3 sleep.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The child is night-terroring again, we heard him shout.
- He has been night-terroring for weeks.
American English
- The toddler night-terrored around 2 a.m.
- She night-terrors frequently during periods of stress.
adjective
British English
- She sought advice for her son's night-terror episodes.
- The night-terror symptoms were quite distressing.
American English
- They documented his night-terror frequency.
- The doctor explained the night-terror cycle.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The little boy had a night terror.
- My daughter sometimes has night terrors and doesn't remember them in the morning.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Terror in the NIGHT' – it's not a remembered story (like a nightmare) but a sudden, frightening event *during* the night.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR IS A NIGHTTIME INTRUDER / SLEEP IS A VULNERABLE STATE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'ночной террор'. The correct equivalent is 'ночной ужас' (nochnoy uzhas) or the medical term 'павор ночной' (pavor nochnoy).
- Do not confuse with 'кошмар' (koshmar), which corresponds to 'nightmare' (a bad dream you remember).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'night terror' and 'nightmare' interchangeably.
- Saying 'I had a night terror about my exam' (incorrect for a remembered, dream-based anxiety).
Practice
Quiz
What is a key distinguishing feature of a night terror compared to a nightmare?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Night terrors occur during non-REM sleep, involve physical movement and panic with no recall. Nightmares are bad dreams during REM sleep that are remembered.
They are most common in children between ages 3 and 8, but can occasionally affect adults, often linked to stress, sleep deprivation, or fever.
It is generally advised not to try to fully wake them, as it can be disorienting and prolong the episode. Instead, ensure their safety and wait for it to pass, which usually takes a few minutes.
In children, they often resolve on their own. Management focuses on safety, a regular sleep schedule, and reducing stress. In persistent or adult cases, a doctor may recommend therapy or, rarely, medication.