It is almost midnight when you hear a scream from your child's bedroom. You rush to the room to discover your son sitting up in bed, perspiring and thrashing against the blankets. He seems disoriented and confused as you try to calm him down. In just a few moments, the boy flops back in bed, sound asleep. What phenomenon has the child most likely experienced?
A) an episode of REM sleep behavior disorder
B) a narcoleptic sleep attack
C) an acute episode of obstructive sleep apnea
D) a sleep terror

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The child has most likely experienced a sleep terror, which is a type of parasomnia that typically occurs during Non-REM (NREM) sleep. During a sleep terror, the person may sit up suddenly, scream, and appear very frightened or confused, but is not fully awake and does not respond to attempts to wake them up. They may also thrash around, perspire, and have a rapid heart rate. Sleep terrors usually last only a few minutes and the person usually has no memory of the event in the morning.

It Is Almost Midnight When You Hear a Scream from Your