Nightmares and sleepwalking

• April 19, 2024

The somnambulism , the night terrors and the nightmares There are three sleep disorders that particularly affect children, especially between 3 and 6 years of age, although they also occur in adulthood.

According to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics of Primary Attention (AEPAP), in the infant They are usually transient alterations that disappear during adolescence; However, in the adult they can be indicators of psychological or hereditary problems, such as sleepwalking that should be attended by a specialist.

How they present themselves and what to do

Dr. Manuel Aguilar Peral, pediatrician at the La Paz Health Center in Badajoz (Spain) explains the characteristics of the three disorders:

• Somnambulism : The most common is that the girl or the sleepwalker sits on the bed and performs strange movements , like feeling your clothes or rubbing your eyes; Then get up and walk awkwardly and with your eyes away. In the sleepwalking episode, behaviors or movements that have been learned during the day are performed (hand washing, for example). It is advisable not to try to wake him up; In any case, it is better remove of his way objects that can hurt you , close with safe doors and windows, not allow him to sleep on the top of a bunk and simply smooth it back to his bed. Since sleepwalking occurs in the deep sleep phase, it is very difficult to awaken the child; In fact, he will not remember anything the next morning and should avoid making him feel guilty for the condition.

• Night terrors : Appear in the first half of the night. The girl or the boy cries, screams, speaks or babbles sitting on the bed, with intense fear reflected in the face, eyes wide open and even cold sweat. He does not recognize anyone because, despite appearances, he remains deeply asleep. It costs a lot to wake him up and, as in the case of sleepwalking, if you get it, you will find disorientated and without understanding what happened. It is better not to wake him up and gently carry him to bed. The nocturnal fears are brief and frighten more to their parents and brothers than to those who live them.

• Nightmares : they are similar to night terrors, only they happen in the second half of the night, that is, in the call MOR phase (rapid eye movements) when there are no body movements (muscle tone is inhibited), unlike the previous sleep disorders. When not happening during deep sleep , the girl or boy wakes up and remembers what she has been dreaming of. The cause of a nightmare can be a conflict that, during the day, has caused anguish (personal or family problems, violent movies, etc.). Generally, when solving the anxiety generating situation , the nightmares disappear. It is advisable to try to calm the child, giving him security and affection and making him see that it has only been a bad dream.

Video Medicine: DARK THE SUNS - Sleepwalking in a Nightmare [Full Album + Bonus] (April 2024).