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Sleep Disorder, Night Terrors: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Dec 8, 2009
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
Other Problems to Be Considered
Temporal lobe seizures
Other sleep disorders
Workup
Laboratory Studies
- A complete history and physical examination is normally sufficient to diagnose night terrors.
Imaging Studies
- When nocturnal seizures are a possibility, a routine EEG or sleep-deprived EEG may be helpful.
- Polysomnography is useful if a respiratory disturbance is suspected.
- Neuroimaging is typically unnecessary.
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Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Sleep Disorder, Night Terrors |
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References
DiMario FJ Jr, Emery ES 3d. The natural history of night terrors. Clin Pediatr (Phila). Oct 1987;26(10):505-11. [Medline].
Dahl RE. The pharmacologic treatment of sleep disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. Mar 1992;15(1):161-78. [Medline].
Guilleminault C, Palombini L, Pelayo R, Chervin RD. Sleepwalking and sleep terrors in prepubertal children: what triggers them?. Pediatrics. Jan 2003;111(1):e17-25. [Medline].
Mason TB 2nd, Pack AI. Sleep terrors in childhood. J Pediatr. Sep 2005;147(3):388-92. [Medline].
Pesikoff RB, Davis PC. Treatment of pavor nocturnus and somnambulism in children. Am J Psychiatry. Dec 1971;128(6):778-81. [Medline].
Siegel JM. Why we sleep. Sci Am. Nov 2003;289(5):92-7. [Medline].
Stores G. Aspects of parasomnias in childhood and adolescence. Arch Dis Child. Jan 2009;94(1):63-9. [Medline].
Wise MS. Parasomnias in children. Pediatr Ann. Jul 1997;26(7):427-33. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
night terrors, night-terrors, sleep terrors, night frights, parasomnia, pavor nocturnus, autonomic arousal, sleep disruption, rapid eye movement, REM, nonrapid eye movement, non-REM, tachycardia, diaphoresis, disrupted sleep pattern, night terror disorder, sleep deprivation
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Sleep Disorder, Night Terrors