Investigation of Clinical Features and Comorbid Psychopathologies of Children with Sleep Terrors

Method: Between 2020 and 2024, 51 children who were diagnosed with sleep terror according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria in 3 different Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinics were included in the study. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the cases were examined retrospectively through the files. Results: Of the 51 participants, 30 (58.8%) were male, 21 (41.2%) were female and the mean age at the time of admission was 6.76±1.45 years. It was determined that 15 (29.4%) of the cases slept in a noisy environment and 41 (80.4%) of the cases had their sleep interrupted except for sleep terror attacks. At least one psychiatric disorder was detected in 17 (33.3%) patients, and the most common (9.8%) comorbid psychiatric disorder was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It was found that complete retrograde amnesia was significantly higher in preschoolers, and motor activity during the attack, physical injury and/or material damage, and full awakening during the attack were significantly higher in school-age children. It was determined that 64.7% of the parents made the wrong intervention during the attack and off-label medication was used in 29.4% of the cases. Conclusion: In sleep terrors, identification of triggering factors and comorbid psychiatric disorders during the diagnostic evaluation process, psychoeducation of parents in treatment, and selection of appropriate medication for medication are very important.