In role-playing games, metagaming is a term often used to describe players' use of assumed characteristics of the game.
Various factors can contribute to sleep terrors, such as: 1  Sleep deprivation and extreme tiredness. 2  Stress. 3  Fever (in children). 4  Sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings. 5  Lights or noise. 6  An overfull bladder.
Nightmares in adults are often spontaneous. But they can also be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders. Some people have nightmares after having a late-night snack, which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. A number of medications also are known to contribute to nightmare frequency.