it might have been a seizure. (He has no hx of these.) He was thrashing and kicking, with a little babbling. Afraid he would fall out of bed, I tried to steady and calm him, and, still apparently asleep, he fought me, and told me to "go away." He is strong, and his aggression was very scary. He has never shown any aggression in any way before. Was this a nightmare, night terror, or what? Should I expect more of this--how often--what is the right way to handle an episode like this? I was able to finally calm him and he slept well the rest of the night. ( He's having a morning nap as I write this.) Many thanks in advance for any experience/wisdom you can share.
It sounds like he was having a bad dream or even a hallucination which can be very real to someone with dementia.
Keep an eye on things and if it continues please contact his doctor as there are medications to help with that.
Best wishes.
I told her to open her eyes because for me, whatever I was dreaming of just before I woke up, faded away once I opened my eyes.