Last updated: October 2026
Night terrors are episodes of screaming, thrashing or intense fear during deep sleep. The person isn’t fully awake and usually doesn’t remember it. They’re common in children aged 3 to 8, and most grow out of them. In adults they’re often linked to stress, sleep loss or alcohol. Don’t wake them: stay calm and keep them safe.
Below: what a night terror looks like, how it differs from nightmares and sleep paralysis, night terrors in children and in adults, what to do during an episode, how to prevent them and when to see a GP.
What are night terrors?
A night terror is a sudden, partial waking from deep sleep. Part of the brain is awake enough to scream and move, but the rest is still asleep. Sleep doctors call this a “disorder of arousal”, the same family as sleepwalking and confused waking. It comes from the deepest stage of non-REM sleep, known as N3 or slow-wave sleep (our guide to deep sleep explains the stages).
According to the NHS, during a night terror someone may:
- scream, shout or thrash about
- sit up or jump out of bed
- have their eyes open but not be awake
- not recognise you, and get more upset if you try to comfort them
Reviews also describe a racing heart, fast breathing, sweating, flushed skin and wide pupils. Episodes usually happen in the first one to three hours after falling asleep, and the NHS says they can last up to 15 minutes, sometimes more than once a night. Most last a few minutes. Afterwards the person usually falls back to sleep and has little or no memory of it in the morning, which is often the most unsettling part for whoever watched it.
Night terrors vs nightmares vs sleep paralysis
These three get mixed up all the time, but they happen at different points in the night and need different responses.
| Night terrors | Nightmares | Sleep paralysis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep stage | Deep non-REM sleep (N3) | Dream (REM) sleep | The border between sleep and waking |
| Timing | Early in the night, often in the first few hours | Later in the night or early morning | As you fall asleep or wake up |
| What happens | Screaming, thrashing, jumping out of bed, eyes open but not awake | A frightening dream that wakes you | Awake but unable to move or speak, often with a sense of a presence or pressure |
| Memory | Rarely remembered | Usually remembered, often vividly | Remembered |
| Who | Mainly children aged 3 to 8 | Children and adults | Anyone; linked with disrupted sleep, anxiety and PTSD |
| What to do | Don’t wake them; stay calm and keep them safe | Comfort and reassure once awake | It is harmless and passes within minutes |
The simplest test: a child having a nightmare wakes up, can tell you about it and wants a cuddle. A child having a night terror doesn’t seem to know you’re there. For more, see our guides to nightmares and sleep paralysis. Talking out loud without the fear is usually sleep talking.
Night terrors can occasionally be confused with seizures at night. Seizures tend to look the same every time, are often short (under a couple of minutes) and can happen several times a night. If episodes look like that, mention it to your GP.
Night terrors in children and toddlers
How common are they? Very. The NHS says night terrors are most common between the ages of 3 and 8. A 2020 review puts the figure at 1 to 6.5% of children aged 1 to 12 at any one time, and about 10% over a childhood. In a Canadian study following nearly 2,000 children, mothers reported night terrors in about a third (34%) of toddlers at 18 months, the peak age in that study. Figures vary with how night terrors are defined, but the message is the same: they’re a normal part of childhood for many families.
Why do children get them? Young brains are still learning to move smoothly between sleep stages, which makes these partial wakings more likely. They run strongly in families: in the same Canadian study, a parent’s history of sleepwalking predicted night terrors in their children, and about a third of toddlers with night terrors went on to sleepwalk later. The NHS lists common triggers as:
- being very tired or unwell (a fever can bring on a run of episodes)
- sudden noises at night, or needing a wee
- something frightening, or feeling stressed, anxious or worried
Research also links night terrors with snoring and sleep apnoea, ADHD, autism and epilepsy, so it’s worth mentioning any of these to your GP.
Will my child grow out of it? The NHS says most children grow out of night terrors, and reviews say most do by late adolescence, often much sooner. Episodes look far worse than they feel to your child, who won’t remember them.
Scheduled waking. If night terrors happen at about the same time every night, the NHS suggests waking your child 15 minutes before, every night for 2 weeks. This may stop them. A sleep diary helps you spot the timing.
See a GP if your child:
- still has night terrors after the age of 12
- starts having night terrors after the age of 5
- has very frequent episodes, gets hurt, or seems sleepy or unsettled during the day
- snores loudly or seems to stop breathing in their sleep
Our products are for adults only and are not suitable for children. For a child, talk to your GP or health visitor rather than trying supplements.
Night terrors in adults
Adults get night terrors too, though far less often. In a telephone survey of nearly 5,000 people across the UK, 2.2% of adults reported night terrors, and the rate fell with age. In adults, night terrors are more often tied to stress or another condition, which is good news: it gives you something to work on.
Common triggers in adults
- Stress, anxiety and worry. Reviews note that psychological factors are uncommon in young children with night terrors but common in adults. See anxiety at night and how to relieve stress.
- Sleep loss. Being short of sleep builds up the pressure for deep sleep, which makes partial wakings more likely. See sleep deprivation.
- Alcohol. In the UK survey, drinking alcohol at bedtime was linked with almost four times the odds of night terrors. See alcohol and sleep.
- Sleep apnoea and other sleep conditions. A sense of choking at night and obstructive sleep apnoea were both strongly linked with night terrors in that survey. The NHS also lists restless legs syndrome. See sleep apnoea.
- Some medicines, such as antidepressants, according to the NHS. Don’t stop a medicine without talking to your GP or pharmacist.
- Trauma and mental health conditions, including PTSD and generalised anxiety disorder.
- Fever, illness or a severe injury, which the NHS says can disturb sleep for 4 to 6 weeks.
Safety. An adult who leaps out of bed in a panic can fall, walk into furniture or, rarely, lash out at a partner without knowing it. Keep the floor around the bed clear, move glass and sharp objects out of reach, keep windows and outside doors locked, and consider a separate bed for a while if a partner is getting hurt. If you also sleepwalk, follow the safety checklist in our sleepwalking guide.
A calmer wind-down. Because stress and short sleep are the big adult triggers, a regular, unhurried evening routine is one of the most useful things you can change. Our bedtime routine for adults walks through one. Many adults like a warm, caffeine-free drink as part of it. Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a bedtime drink, and magnesium contributes to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It isn’t a treatment for night terrors, and like all our products it’s for adults only and not for children.
What to do during a night terror
Whether it’s your child or your partner, the NHS advice is the same:
- Stay calm and wait for the person to calm down. Most episodes pass within a few minutes.
- Don’t try to wake them. They may not recognise you and may get more upset if you try to comfort them.
- Don’t talk to them or try to stop them moving, unless there’s a risk they could hurt themselves or someone else.
- Keep them safe. Move anything they could knock into, and gently steer them away from stairs or windows if they get up.
- Let them settle back to sleep once it’s over.
- Keep it low-key in the morning. They won’t remember it, and making a big deal of it can make bedtime feel worrying.
It’s natural to want to scoop up a screaming child, but reviews note that trying to console or interrupt them during the episode can make the panic worse.
How to prevent night terrors
For most people, night terrors get better on their own. These steps reduce the common triggers:
- Get enough sleep, at regular times. Overtiredness is one of the biggest triggers. Keeping the same bedtime and wake time also steadies your circadian rhythm.
- Keep a relaxing bedtime routine, as the NHS recommends. See our sleep hygiene guide.
- Keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks: bedtimes, how long sleep took, how you felt next day, plus any episodes. Patterns often jump out.
- Go to the toilet before bed, and keep the bedroom quiet, as a full bladder and sudden noises can trigger episodes.
- Deal with stress and worries before bedtime rather than in bed.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening (adults).
- Try scheduled waking if episodes happen at the same time each night (see above).
Treatment and when to see a GP
The NHS says treatment depends on what may be causing the night terrors. In practice that means:
- Treating any underlying sleep condition, such as sleep apnoea or restless legs, usually by managing that condition better.
- Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which may help with conditions such as anxiety or insomnia that can cause night terrors. See insomnia.
- Counselling or other psychological treatment if a traumatic event is behind disturbed sleep.
- Referral to a sleep clinic if episodes are frequent, unusual or might be seizures, where an overnight video sleep study can help.
Medicines are rarely needed. Specialists occasionally use them for severe or very disruptive episodes, but the first steps are always reassurance, safety and tackling triggers.
Adults should see a GP if night terrors start for the first time in adulthood, happen often, lead to injury, began with a new medicine, follow a traumatic event, or come with loud snoring, gasping or daytime sleepiness. For children, see the checklist in the children section.
See also lucid dreaming: what it is and is it safe?.
See also REM sleep and acting out dreams.
FAQs
What causes night terrors?
Common triggers are being overtired or unwell, sudden noises, needing a wee, stress and anxiety. In adults, alcohol, sleep apnoea, some medicines and trauma can also play a part. They often run in families.
Should you wake someone having a night terror?
No. The NHS advises staying calm and waiting for it to pass. Only step in to stop them hurting themselves or someone else.
What is the difference between night terrors and nightmares?
Night terrors happen in deep sleep early in the night, and the person isn’t fully awake and rarely remembers them. Nightmares happen later in the night, and you wake up and remember the dream.
At what age do children grow out of night terrors?
They’re most common between 3 and 8, and most children grow out of them. See a GP if they continue after 12 or start after the age of 5.
Can adults have night terrors?
Yes. About 2% of UK adults report them. Stress, sleep loss, alcohol, sleep apnoea and some medicines are common triggers, so see a GP if they start in adulthood.
Are night terrors dangerous?
The episodes themselves aren’t harmful, but people can get hurt jumping out of bed or moving about. Clear the area around the bed and keep doors and windows secure.
Sources
- NHS. Night terrors and nightmares.
- NHS. Sleep paralysis.
- Leung AKC et al (2020). Sleep terrors: an updated review. Current Pediatric Reviews.
- Petit D et al (2015). Childhood sleepwalking and sleep terrors: a longitudinal study of prevalence and familial aggregation. JAMA Pediatrics.
- Ohayon MM et al (1999). Night terrors, sleepwalking, and confusional arousals in the general population. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
- Irfan M (2024). Sleep terrors. Sleep Medicine Clinics.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex, which is for adults only and not suitable for children. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
