Night Terror (Kabūs / Fear in Sleep)

In this condition, the patient experiences an overflow of thoughts as soon as he falls asleep, along with heaviness in the stomach and a generally depressed state of mind. During sleep, he feels as if someone is sitting on his chest and choking his throat. The patient does not get deep sleep but keeps experiencing numerous frightening and disturbing dreams. Sometimes he feels as if a heavy object is being dropped on him, or he is being lifted and thrown into water, or he is drowning, struggling, or someone is suffocating him. During these fearful dreams, he experiences a sensation of “hissing” or “whistling” sounds and wakes up in fear. If the condition persists for a long time, the patient also begins to feel fear during the daytime. He may overreact emotionally to distressing situations, such as seeing someone being beaten or witnessing poverty, becoming excessively upset. Sometimes he sees himself calling for help from a threatening figure in his dreams, although nothing like this is actually happening. At times, he sees extremely terrifying scenes in sleep and suddenly wakes up, sometimes even trying to run away from the bed in fear.

Causes

• Indigestion

• Gastric fermentation (dyspepsia)

• Sleeping immediately after eating

• Cholera

• Teething in children

• Intestinal worms

• Low blood pressure

• Sedation of kidneys and heart