{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T15:02:30Z","timestamp":1784732550389,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":7,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>We report a case of a man in his 40s presenting with idiopathic adult-onset sleep terrors manifesting as nocturnal violent behaviour, including a concerning episode of attempted strangulation of his bed partner. Polysomnography documented an event during N3 sleep (slow-wave, deep non-rapid eye movement) with autonomic hyperactivation and complex motor behaviour. A detailed psychiatric evaluation did not reveal any diagnosable anxiety, mood or other psychiatric disorder, and there was no history of substance use, recent psychosocial stressors or sleep deprivation. Notably, there were no precipitating factors, though mild obstructive sleep apnoea without associated symptoms was detected. This case underscores the risk of violent behaviour in adult sleep terrors and emphasises the need for comprehensive evaluation and prompt intervention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2025-271826","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T14:20:21Z","timestamp":1784730021000},"page":"e271826","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Idiopathic sleep terror in an adult patient"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9698-4635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Suyash Singh","family":"Rathore","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIl India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8202-6594","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gaurav","family":"Kachhawaha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Vyas Medical College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2583-563X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ravi","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6972-3966","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lokesh Kumar","family":"Saini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIl India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.1","unstructured":"American Academy of Sleep Medicine . International classification of sleep disorders. 3rd edn. Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2023."},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2174\/18756336MTAxpNDI61"},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.5664\/jcsm.9666","article-title":"Three cases of parasomnias similar to sleep terrors occurring during sleep-wake transitions from REM sleep","volume":"18","author":"Futenma","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Clin Sleep Med"},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2044.1987.tb04039.x"},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"204","DOI":"10.5152\/npa.2015.7243","article-title":"Treatment Approach to Sleep Terror: Two Case Reports","volume":"52","author":"Sodan Turan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch Neuropsychiatr"},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.6","unstructured":"Pedersen T . Night terrors (sleep terrors): symptoms, causes, and treatment. psychcentral. 2024."},{"key":"2026072207201541000_19.7.e271826.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.comppsych.2017.04.003","article-title":"Nightmares and nonsuicidal self-injury: The mediating role of emotional dysregulation","volume":"76","author":"Ennis","year":"2017","journal-title":"Compr Psychiatry"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-271826","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T14:20:24Z","timestamp":1784730024000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-271826"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"references-count":7,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2025-271826"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2025-271826","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1757-790X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}}}