Strictly defined, it is uncommon for adults to experience sleep terrors. Sleep terrors, or night terrors, are one of the parasomnias that typically affect young children. There is often an emotional or behavioral component that may include anxiety, panic, gasping, moaning, or screaming while the child remains asleep. These events occur during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or slow-wave sleep.
In contrast, adults may experience behaviors while asleep during REM. An individual with REM sleep behavior disorder may act out his or her dreams. This syndrome is characterized by vivid dreams without the usual loss of muscle tone. This allows the person to perform various activities -- including walking, punching, kicking, or any number of behaviors -- while remaining asleep. Occasionally this may lead to injury to the person afflicted or to others in close proximity.
In each of these disorders, it is not usually remembered the next morning, and the person experiencing it may not be fully conscious during the episode. For those who are afflicted, it may be necessary to undergo a sleep study. The good news is that there are effective treatments available for REM sleep behavior disorder, including drugs called clonazepam and melatonin.
