Night terrors ≠ nightmares. Key difference: REM sleep has muscle paralysis (you can't move), but night terrors hit during N3 deep sleep when muscles still work.
Bryan Johnson just had one after altitude + sleep deprivation combo (5 days at 7,000 ft + missed bedtimes). Threw himself off the bed, injured back and arms. Pattern: happens 1-3 hours post-sleep onset.
The physiology: altitude disrupts sleep architecture immediately, full acclimation takes weeks. Sleep debt + environmental stressor = N3 stage gets chaotic, no muscle atonia safety net.
He's had these before (once hospitalized). They stopped, came back under specific conditions. This is actually a decent real-world case study on how sleep stage mechanics break down under acute stressors.
Bryan Johnson just had one after altitude + sleep deprivation combo (5 days at 7,000 ft + missed bedtimes). Threw himself off the bed, injured back and arms. Pattern: happens 1-3 hours post-sleep onset.
The physiology: altitude disrupts sleep architecture immediately, full acclimation takes weeks. Sleep debt + environmental stressor = N3 stage gets chaotic, no muscle atonia safety net.
He's had these before (once hospitalized). They stopped, came back under specific conditions. This is actually a decent real-world case study on how sleep stage mechanics break down under acute stressors.