A six-year-old child suddenly awakens in a state of extreme arousal accompanied by panicky screams.What sleep disorder is this child most likely experiencing?

Question

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A sleep terror is a sleep disorder that typically affects children and involves sudden arousal from sleep accompanied by intense fear or panic, often with screaming or crying. It usually occurs during the first third of the night and the child will have little or no memory of the event upon waking up. Somnambulism (A) is sleepwalking, sleep apnea (B) is a breathing-related sleep disorder, and narcolepsy (C) is a disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden attacks of sleep. None of these disorders present with the sudden arousal and intense fear or panic seen in sleep terrors.

A Six-Year-Old Child Suddenly Awakens in a State of Extreme