F51.4 ICD-10-CM

ICD-10-CM code F51.4 describes sleep terrors [night terrors]. Episodes of abrupt terror arousal from slow-wave sleep, often with screaming. It is a billable, specific code valid for claim submission. It is grouped under the “Behavioral Syndromes (Eating, Sleep, Sexual)” section of the mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders chapter.

When to use F51.4

This group covers eating disorders, non-organic sleep disorders, and non-organic sexual dysfunction. Several eating-disorder codes were expanded to require a severity or specification level, so code to the greatest specificity available. For F51.4 specifically, episodes of abrupt terror arousal from slow-wave sleep, often with screaming.

Documentation & billing

Document the subtype and severity for eating-disorder codes, the symptom pattern for sleep codes, and the psychological basis for sexual dysfunction. Use the expanded child codes where they exist.

Common pitfalls

• Using a now-non-billable parent code such as F50.2 or F50.81 instead of the required severity child code.
• Coding an eating disorder without documenting subtype or severity.
• Confusing non-organic sleep disorders with sleep apnea or other medical sleep codes.

Common search terms for F51.4

Clinicians often look up F51.4 using plain-language terms. This code maps to:

Frequently asked questions