night terrors
C1/C2Medical/Clinical, Everyday, Formal
Definition
Meaning
A sleep disorder in children, causing episodes of intense fear and screaming during deep sleep, where the person is not fully conscious and cannot be easily comforted.
It can refer to severe, recurring nightmares or states of extreme panic and anxiety experienced during the night by adults, often metaphorically used for persistent, intense worries or fears that occur at night or in private moments.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Night terrors" (pavor nocturnus) is a specific parasomnia. It is distinct from a common nightmare, as the sufferer often appears awake but is not, has no memory of the episode, and cannot be comforted. The plural form "terrors" is standard.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is standard in both medical and general contexts.
Connotations
Equally serious in both varieties, primarily medical but used in general language.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Person/Child] has/suffers from night terrors.Night terrors affect [person/child].An episode of night terrors occurred.[Person] is plagued by night terrors.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be a night terror (for a difficult child at bedtime, informal)”
- “Living night terrors (metaphorical for a terrifying situation)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not applicable in standard business contexts. Could appear metaphorically in very informal speech: "The quarterly report was a night terror to compile."
Academic
Used in psychology, psychiatry, paediatric, and sleep medicine literature to describe the specific parasomnia.
Everyday
Used by parents describing children's sleep issues. Can be used by adults to describe severe, distressing nightmares or anxiety.
Technical
A clinical term in sleep medicine (ICSD-3 classification). Defined by specific diagnostic criteria including partial arousal from slow-wave sleep, autonomic arousal, and amnesia.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The child was night-terroring again, so we called the NHS helpline.
- He tends to night-terror when he's overtired.
American English
- The toddler night-terrored for an hour last night.
- She has been night-terroring since the stressful event.
adverb
British English
- (Rarely used) He screamed night-terroringly for twenty minutes.
American English
- (Rarely used) She woke up night-terroringly, drenched in sweat.
adjective
British English
- The night-terror episodes were becoming less frequent.
- We sought advice for his night-terror behaviour.
American English
- She documented his night-terror symptoms in a sleep diary.
- The night-terror incident was very distressing for the parents.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The little boy sometimes has bad dreams.
- My nephew has night terrors, so he often shouts in his sleep.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Terrors in the NIGHT' – it happens at night and is more terrifying than a typical nightmare, like a horror movie happening in your sleep.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR IS A NIGHT PREDATOR / SLEEP IS A VULNERABLE STATE / THE MIND IS A BATTLEFIELD AT NIGHT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque "ночные терроры." The standard medical term is "ночные страхи" or "ночной ужас." "Террор" in Russian is strongly associated with political terror, not sleep disorders.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'night terror' in singular form for the condition (usually plural). Confusing it with 'nightmare' (nightmares occur in REM sleep, are remembered, and the person can be awakened).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a key feature of night terrors?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are distinct. Night terrors occur during deep non-REM sleep (N3 stage), the person appears extremely distressed but is not conscious, cannot be comforted, and has no memory. Nightmares occur during REM sleep, are remembered as vivid bad dreams, and the person wakes fully and can be comforted.
They are most common in children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. They can occur in adults as well, often linked to stress, trauma, sleep deprivation, or certain mental health conditions.
Focus on safety: ensure they don't hurt themselves. Do not try to wake them forcefully, as this can cause confusion and prolong the episode. Stay calm and wait it out, usually the episode ends on its own within a few minutes.
In children, they often resolve without treatment. For persistent or severe cases, especially in adults, treatment may include improving sleep hygiene, scheduled awakenings (for children), stress management, therapy (CBT), or, rarely, medication.