What is the difference between a nightmare and a night terror?
Both nightmares and night terrors involve having a bad dream. However, a nightmare occurs in REM sleep, and the sleeper can be awoken during a bad dream and typically can remember the dream the next day. In contrast, a night terror occurs in any stage except REM. The dreamer will typically sit up in bed, screaming in fear. The dreamer cannot be consoled or woken up. If you try and restrain the dreamer, it will only play into their dream and make it worse. An episode can last anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour. The dreamer will eventually calm down on their own, return to a restful sleep, and won’t remember the dream the next day.
