night terror
nounDefinition of night terror
: a sudden awakening in dazed terror that occurs in children during slow-wave sleep, is often preceded by a sudden shrill cry uttered in sleep, and is not remembered when the child awakes
—usually used in plural
Examples of night terror in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jones said that the children struggle with night terrors, and Boston’s grandmother had to undergo bypass surgery because the murder placed such a strain on her. — Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, "Civic Center drug dealer sentenced to life in prison without parole for murders of three homeless people," 25 July 2019 Still others suffer from insomnia, sleep deprivation, and night terrors. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep," 23 July 2019 Tom, a growing girl, complains of hunger, and Will suffers from night terrors. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "Leave No Trace approaches homelessness on the most intimate terms," 11 July 2018 Anyone with a previous history of sleepwalking, night terrors, or other parasomnias should avoid taking Ambien, as well. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "Roseanne Barr Blamed Her Racist Tweet on Ambien. Here's What an Expert Thinks," 30 May 2018 As recently as a generation ago, problems like these were considered an inconvenient quirk or a cohabitation liability, like snoring or night terrors. — Ashley Fetters, Bon Appetit, "How Sleep Became a Wellness Fixation," 29 May 2018 Jones said that the children struggle with night terrors, and Boston’s grandmother had to undergo bypass surgery because the murder placed such a strain on her. — Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, "Civic Center drug dealer sentenced to life in prison without parole for murders of three homeless people," 25 July 2019 Still others suffer from insomnia, sleep deprivation, and night terrors. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep," 23 July 2019 Celeste, plagued by night terrors and lingering feelings for her late abusive husband, withers under the influence of her mother-in-law Mary Louise (a joyfully unrestrained Streep) and is unable to move on. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: 'Big Little Lies' Season 2 is almost as exquisite as the original," 7 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'night terror.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for night terror
night terror
noun
night ter·ror
| \ -ˈter-ər
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Medical Definition of night terror
: a sudden awakening in dazed terror that occurs in children during slow-wave sleep, is often preceded by a sudden shrill cry uttered in sleep, and is not remembered when the child awakes
—usually used in plural
— called also pavor nocturnus