What is the difference between nightmares and night terrors?

Nightmares and night terrors are common occurrences in childhood, but they may persist well into adulthood as well. Common causes of both include:

• Being fatigued or unwell for long periods.
• Sleep disruption because of noises or needing to go to the bathroom.
• Frightening experiences or anxiety-provoking thoughts before sleep (like watching a scary movie or thinking about worrisome things in life).
• Medication like antidepressants.
• Sleep disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
• mental health conditions like PTSD.
• Neurodegenerative conditions like dementia.

Now that we know the causes of both conditions, in the next section, we see some of the main differences between night terrors and nightmares.