For five years, the prospect of peaceful slumber has been out of arms reach for Nicholas Kontogeorgis and his mother, Julie.

The five-year-old has been plagued by night terrors that would wake him up to 10 times a night. The episodes leave Nicholas exhausted by the afternoon and cause anxiety at kindergarten  His mother, who sleeps in the same room as her son to ease his anxiety, is similarly exhausted and desperate to find a solution.

Last week, Nicholas was admitted to The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to undergo five days of brain monitoring.  Nicholas was hooked up to a video EEG recording unit, attached by electrodes glued to his head.

Given his history of epilepsy, doctors first imagined the night terrors to be caused by seizures. However, the week of monitoring showed that Nicholas suffers from a sleep disorder called parasomnia.

Nicholas has now been referred to a sleep specialist and his mother Julie is hopeful that new treatment will help her son return to a normal routine.

Click here for a gallery of photos from The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal on the Herald Sun website.