"Pavor nocturno" is a term used in the medical field to refer to "night terrors" in English. It is a sleep disorder that occurs during non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, usually in children. This term is more commonly used in written contexts within the medical field.
Example sentences
Los padres están preocupados por los pavor nocturno que sufre su hijo.
(The parents are worried about the night terrors their son is experiencing.)
El pavor nocturno puede ser aterrador para los niños que lo sufren.
(Night terrors can be frightening for the children experiencing them.)
Idiomatic expressions
"Dar pavor"
Me da pavor la idea de quedarme solo en casa esta noche. (The idea of staying home alone tonight terrifies me.)
"En un pavor"
Estuve en un pavor toda la noche después de ver esa película de terror. (I was terrified all night after watching that horror movie.)
"Pavor mortal"
Sintió un pavor mortal al verse atrapado en la oscuridad. (He felt a mortal terror when he found himself trapped in the darkness.)
Etymology
The word "pavor" comes from the Latin "pavor, pavoris", which means fear or terror. "Nocturno" comes from the Latin "nocturnus", which means nightly or nocturnal.