Nightmares and night terror

Nightmares are generally known as dreams which occur during the REM sleep ( Rapid Eye Movement), which cause feelings of intense fear ,terror or anxiety and usually wake the person that sleeps.
Nightmares are partially or totally remembered by the person that is awakened by them.
Night terror is also described as an episode of extreme terror which occurs during sleep, but the dream as such is forgotten once the person wakes up.

Both nightmares and night terror occur generally in the case of children rather than in that of adults.
Night terror occurs during the non REM sleep , and causes people to wake up in a sudden manner, with their heart beating very fast experiencing at the same time a feeling of anxiety whose causes they can not explain. They are not aware of whatever person or thing surrounds them and do not respond to other people’s attempts at calming them. The crisis may last up to 10-15 minutes and the affected ones do not remember what triggered the specific reaction.

Even though nightmares are quite regular during childhood, and there is nothing to worry about because they will become more and more rare, there are also persons who suffer from severe psychical problems which trigger nightmares.
In this case psychotherapy is important in order to reveal the major stress factors within a person’s life .
In case doctors prescribe different kinds of drugs that may cause nightmares , they should inform their patients about these side effects.