Four-year-old Aaron has been asleep for a little over an hour when his mother hears him scream out.When she gets to his bedroom, little Aaron is sitting up in bed in a state of panic.When his mother attempts to console him, she notes that his pajamas are drenched in sweat, and he is only semi-awake.After this episode, Aaron goes back to sleep.His mother is surprised the next morning that Aaron only vaguely remembers his mother coming into the room.Aaron most likely experienced
A) a nightmare.
B) a night terror.
C) sleep apnea.
D) narcolepsy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aaron's symptoms are consistent with a night terror. Night terrors typically occur during non-REM sleep and can cause the person to sit up in bed, sweat, and appear panicked or frightened. The person may be difficult to console and often doesn't remember the episode the next morning. Night terrors are different from nightmares, which occur during REM sleep and usually involve vivid dreams that the person can recall. Sleep apnea involves breathing interruptions during sleep and narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.

Four-Year-Old Aaron Has Been Asleep for a Little Over an Hour