A parent reports that the child awakens crying and agitated during the last half of night sleep; the child is awake and can be comforted; the parent denies this child is experiencing:

A parent reports that the child awakens crying and agitated during the last half of night sleep; the child is awake and can be comforted; the parent denies this child is experiencing:

• A. Sleep terrors
• B. Nightmares
• C. Somniloquy
• D. Sleep starts

Answer: (B)

Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep, usually in the later part of the night. When children wake from a nightmare, they are awake and able to be comforted, often remember the dream, and can be reassured by a caregiver. This fits the scenario where the child wakes crying and agitated in the last half of sleep but is easily soothed. Sleep terrors, by contrast, happen early in the night during deep non-REM sleep and involve the child crying out, appearing terrified, difficult to awaken, and typically not remembering the episode in the morning. Somniloquy is sleep talking, which isn’t necessarily distressing or associated with a feared dream, and sleep starts are abrupt awakenings with fear that can occur at various times but don’t match the described late-night, consolable waking.

Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur during REM sleep, usually in the later part of the night. When children wake from a nightmare, they are awake and able to be comforted, often remember the dream, and can be reassured by a caregiver. This fits the scenario where the child wakes crying and agitated in the last half of sleep but is easily soothed.

Sleep terrors, by contrast, happen early in the night during deep non-REM sleep and involve the child crying out, appearing terrified, difficult to awaken, and typically not remembering the episode in the morning. Somniloquy is sleep talking, which isn’t necessarily distressing or associated with a feared dream, and sleep starts are abrupt awakenings with fear that can occur at various times but don’t match the described late-night, consolable waking.