night terror

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. a sudden feeling of extreme fear that awakens a sleeping person, usually during slow-wave sleep, and is not associated with a dream or nightmare.

Word History and Origins

Origin of night terror¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

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

That criticism provokes a response that then sparks larger discourse — remember the night terror that was "The Idol?"

From Salon