crying in sleep

[bujlu]

hello........          
my aunt, she is 30 years old has night panic  attacks, she wakes up with crying. the crying begins in her sleep and when she woke up she doesn't realize what is happening. the cries are low, continues like a child cry. if she is asked why she is crying? what happened? her reply is "nothing", i don't remember any thing what is happening and she complains of severe body pains which persist for one- two hours later disappears. this is happening from past 6 months about daily or alternate days, but now its almost once in a while. please let me know what is happening with her.

[bujlu]

thank you doc for the reply, she consulted a neurophysician and the doctor assessed her,and made some tests, said everything seems good this may be due to head ache. but the symptoms are worsening.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Her symptoms could be due to  sleep disorders “Nightmare” or "Night terror" disorders . Here the person experiences symptoms of bad, frightening dreams which interfere with his sleep schedules. Disorders related to dreaming could occur with REM sleep behavior disorders. Here the person acts out the dreams. This is usually assessed by a set of questionnaires and the therapy is based on the severity of the disorder. Also, a sleep study may help diagnose.

It could also be seizure activity, only an EEG (electroencephalogram) can help confirm this. This is done under the guidance of a neurologist.
I would advise you to discuss your symptoms with your primary care physician who may then refer you to a sleep specialist for further evaluation.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.