Is it called night terror or just nightmare?

Question

i had a dream and woke up screaming.

i have heard that it is called a "night terror" when you wake up screaming , but from what i've been told -night terrors are only when you wake up screaming and you cant remember what you dreamed.

i CAN remember the dream. so was it a simple nightmare or is it still considered a night terror?

Answer 1

Night terrors if I'm not mistaken are when you get up and move in your dreams. Sometimes this ends up in one hurting themselves very seriously.

Answer 2

I think you might have had a nightmare, you are correct about usually not remembering what you dreamed if it's a night terror.

A night terror is a sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. The subject wakes abruptly from slow-wave sleep, with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or screaming. It is often impossible to fully awaken the person, and after the episode the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking. A night terror can rarely be recalled by the subject. They typically occur during non-rapid eye movement sleep.

Night terrors are distinct from nightmares in several key ways. First, the subject is not fully awake when roused, and even when efforts are made to awaken the sleeper, he/she may continue to experience the night terror for ten to twenty minutes. Unlike nightmares, which occur during REM sleep, night terrors occur during slow-wave sleep, the deepest level of NREM sleep. Even if awakened, the subject often cannot remember the episode except for a sense of panic, while nightmares usually can be easily recalled.

Unlike nightmares, which are frequently dreams of a frightening nature, night terrors are not recalled dreams. Usually there is no situation or event (scary or otherwise) that is dreamed, but rather the emotion of fear itself is felt. Often, this is coupled with tension and apprehension without any distinct sounds or visual imagery, although sometimes a vague object of fear is identified by the sufferer. These emotions, generally without a focusing event or scenario, increase emotions in a cumulative effect. The lack of a dream itself leaves those awakened from a night terror in a state of disorientation much more severe than that caused by a normal nightmare. This can include a short period of amnesia during which the subjects may be unable to recall their names, locations, ages, or any other identifying features of themselves.

Answer 3

I had to study all this for school.

Night terrors is in a stage of sleep where it extremely rare for a person to remmeber what caused them to scream. I often have night mares where i wakeup crying or speaking, sometimes you even have a reaction of movement?

Well  basically when you dream you are in a stage of sleep called REM(rapid eye movement)..in this stage your body is entirely paralyzed except for movements in you eyes hence the name So it would be impossible to cry, scream or even move when you dream. The reactions occur when you are graduly waking up and leaving this REM stage..or if an external factor causes you to wake up..which is when this reacion occurs..this is called the hypnogognic stage (not sure about the spelling) but you can have muscle movements etcthat you are aware of. but you are technically not fully concious yet.I think you might have just had a nightmare and reacted to it as you woke...mainly because you CAN remmeberit...unless your one of those few who can =P

Answer 4

i dont know i just say a bad dream, but dreams are nice, so a nightmare....night terror sounds like a posh way to say the same word.