night terrors

plural noun

1. a condition in which a person, usually a child, suddenly starts from sleep in a state of extreme fear but cannot later remember the incident

Example Sentences

In her latest role in Showtime’s “The Woman in the Wall,” Ruth Wilson plays Lorna, a woman prone to sleepwalking and night terrors.

From Seattle Times

It may intrude on everyday activity, thrusting a person into the middle of a horrifying event, or surface as night terrors or flashbacks.

From New York Times

Worst of all, Yousef often wakes up screaming inconsolably from night terrors and cannot go back to sleep.

From BBC

And if someone appears physically distressed in their sleep like this, it’s more likely that they’re having a night terror than a nightmare; night terrors are different neurological experiences.

From Scientific American

The mother of the 16-year-old said in a witness statement her son had been "suffering mentally with PTSD, night terrors, flashbacks and has withdrawn completely socially".

From BBC