Action of bromazepam on sleep of children with night terrors. I. Sleep organization and heart rate.

Bromazepam was administered in a single dose of 1.5 mg one-half hour before bedtime to study its short-term action and the effect of its discontinuation on the sleep of 6 children suffering from night terrors. On the third night of the drug's administration, a statistically significant reduction in slow-wave sleep was observed which was maintained after the drug had been discontinued. The other sleep parameters were not significantly affected, although a slight increase in REM sleep was seen after discontinuation of bromazepam, with a statistically significant increase in the second third of the night on the first 2 nights 'off medication'. A comparison of the individual nights yielded no significant change in heart rate, although certain internal changes were observed during the second night 'on medication' and during the nights 'off medication'. These changes can be explained by the changing relationship between cardiac variability and sleep organization. There were insufficient episodes of night terror during the short duration of the study to allow any conclusions to be drawn on the effect of the drug on this aspect.