night terrors

Renae - posted on 09/19/2010

A night terror is when they are not fully conscious or awake (even though eyes are open and they are usually sitting up) and they usually do not recognise you. Normally any attempt to comfort them makes it worse because you become part of the nightmare. The child usually has no recollection of the event once it is over and calms down fairly quickly. Does this sound like what is happening? If so, then yes it could be night terrors, which is very different to normal nightmares.



The professional advice is usually to wait for the terror to end and the child to wake up and then comfort them. Overtiredness and changes to bed time, bed time schedule/routine or sleep habits (such as a strange bed or place) are often triggers. As is a fever (which I think is why it is linked to sickness - from memory).



It also usually happens around the same time each night, during the deep sleep stage. If this is the case, you can wake the child (only slightly so they just stir) about half an hour before the terror normally occurs to force their sleep cycle to restart and avoid the stage when they terror occurs. This method is supposed to be very effective at avoiding terrors, but doesn't cure them.



There actually isn't a lot you can do. Most kids grow out of it. Your doctor should have some standard information sheets they can give on how to deal with it and can also refer you to a sleep consultant / infant psychologist if it gets really bad (several times per night).

Chrissy - posted on 09/17/2010

M daughter loved the fishy night light before but now if i turn it on she starts screaming. should i try another night light?

Chrissy - posted on 09/17/2010

Thank you all mommies thia is very helpful. She still seems to be the same and it scares me. Ive read also never pick them up. But im the type that hates to see my baby cry. Some days are good and others are worse. Ive calmed her by rocking her, letting her know im here, making sure shes awake before i pick her up, Ive wanted to put her back in her crib but the night terrors scares me

Julie - posted on 09/12/2010

I don't know how long this was posted but my daughter went through this and they tend to go through it more than once ... when you comfort your baby while she is having a terror you become part of that terror .. and its best to leave her where shes sleeping let she cry it out crying dose not kill and you just stay close by and watch her let she realize shes dreaming and wake up before you start comforting her and another thing to do if you want to comfort her you can rub her back but don't talk to her because they are not fully awake and your voice becomes part of that dream ... i went through it more than once with my daughter and my mom helped me to help her so am sharing that same info ....

Molissa - posted on 09/12/2010

I think it is very important for parents who are commenting that their child is having these as well to read this. It is inherited. I had night terrors as a child and still have nights when I wake up and can't move. It really is just that your brain is awake, but you're body isn't. Sometimes you can move, but aren't really able to control the movements. It is a symptom of going to bed too tired. It is really important to let your child sleep in their bed. Stick to a schedule and a routine. I give my son a bath about an hour before bedtime, and then try to read to him, but mostly we just let him quietly play before bed. Then we all kiss him goodnight and then take him in his room with the lights off, put his blanket around him while still in our arms, cuddle for a moment, and then lay him down. We now have a night light that projects a picture of fish on the ceiling that he can look at until he fell asleep. The terrors have stopped and he sleeps so great. They are not nightmares and are not caused by watching tv (Although tv can cause nightmares, these are not nightmares). Please read what Rachel Madrigal wrote. That link is what helped me understand when it happened to me and how to keep them from happening. It won't take long to get them back to sleeping with no problems. You have to retrain the brain. Good luck to everyone.

Virginia - posted on 09/11/2010

My boy is 18 months, I leave a lamp on in his bedroom at night time it has a red lightbulb and is a touchlamp so I can control how bright it is I keep it on the softest setting so there is just enough light to see and I have had no troubles with my boy having night terrors at this stage. A couple of times he has had nightmares and I will go in there and rub his tummy or back depending what side he is lying on and just say softly mummies here it's ok and I just keep saying that and he calms right down and goes back to sleep. Some people also say that children are more sensitive to "vibes" or the spiritual influences of the house/room, I saw stuff as a child but I never saw anything when the light was on and that is why I leave the lamp on for my boy. Some people don't believe in it and others do I am just giving another theory I am not preaching and do not want comments aimed towards to saying that I am. People are free to believe in what ever they want I really don't care :) Good luck I hope your little girl comes right soon

Ashleigh - posted on 09/10/2010

I would do what Tasha said and lay her down on your lap or on the floor in front of you, talking to her softly till she calms down. Then, once she calms down, pick her up and cuddle her. I do this with mine when she doesn't want me to hold her (which is rare, she usually wants SERIOUS cuddles between mommy and daddy at this point) and it usually makes her go back to sleep.

Jessica - posted on 09/09/2010

Does she watch television, if so I would suggest taking that out of her activities even if it is just cartoons. A baby's brain does not know how to interpret all of those sensations and input at this point and it can be quite scary for them and possibly stored into memory. This may be a source of some very scary dreams for a child.

Terri - posted on 09/09/2010

I have an 18 month old girl and she is having night terrors also. She apparently has been having them for a few months but I thought she was hurting because she had teeth coming in. When she has them she doesn't want to be held or talked to. She just walks around the house crying like she's in pain. I learned over time that it makes it worse when I talk to her or even look at her so I just let her work through it. I am there just to make sure she doesn't hurt herself since the information I have read says that during night terrors they are still asleep.

Her last episode was pretty bad. She got under the kitchen table and just cried and cried. It is soooo hard to watch but I kept my distance. I put on one of her favorite dvd's and she came in to watch and within a few minutes she looked over at me and started smiling so I knew it was over.

I wish you luck. It is really scary for a parent to not know what to do when your child is upset.

Korrinne - posted on 09/08/2010

wow thats hard im dealling with that with my 5 year old........just try to keep them feeling safe but most of the time they arent even awake...so make sure its not just a nightmare and it is a night terror...then ask our doc for advice but they say just make sure they arent hurting themselves and really leave them alone...hard i know

Kelly - posted on 09/07/2010

Hi Chrissy! Just wanted to let you know what happens with us. When Riley (our 17 mo. old daughter) had teeth coming in or is sick, or getting sick, she gets either night mares or night terrors. I can't tell the difference. Just that she starts screaming like she's being tortured. From wherever I am in the house, I start talking in a soothing voice (loud enough to be heard though..), saying her name and that it's ok, as I make my way to her. The "Riley" part gently wakes her up if she's not awake yet, and the "it's ok" part helps relax her a bit until I can get there. Then I go to the side of the crib and talk softly to her, or start singing a favourite lullaby. If she wants to be picked up, she'll come to me. If not, she'll lay back down whimpering and drift back off to sleep. An important thing is not to pick them up right away, as sometimes it takes longer than usual to recognize where you are and who's grabbing at you. I also turn a hall light on before I get into her room, so the light shines in enough so that she can see it's me,, but it's not such a bright light that the drastic change freaks her out. I try not to take her out of her room, but instead, try to make her feel comfortable in her own room. If she reaches for you and you pick her up and she cries harder, have a little light on, close the bedroom door (with you guys in the room), sit on the floor, and let her walk around. she may stand there and cry, or walk around trying to figure things out, but you're right there for when she feels comfortable enough to come to you for snuggles.

Good luck!
~Kelly

Pamela - posted on 09/05/2010

my son used to do this it was headaches not night terrors. I used to sing to him or take him outside for fresh air it always perked him up another thing that used to sooth him was our dog he just had to see her and he would instantly improve.

Vanessa - posted on 09/05/2010

My son gets night terrors when he has teeth coming in...he won't even let me pick him up until he knows for sure its me....

Rachel - posted on 09/03/2010

Check out Dr. Sears on night terrors. I love his stuff.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T071300...

Kristine - posted on 09/03/2010

My understanding is that night terrors are different from nightmares - not really about scary dreams. Everything I've read says do not pick them up or talk to them unless they are about to hurt themselves. As a mother who has had 2 boys go through night terrors, I can tell you it is nearly impossible to follow that advice - it's too hard to not try and comfort them. However, usually it takes no more than 15 - 20 minutes to completely settle them back down. Good luck to you all - I do hope they go away quickly for you.

Angie - posted on 09/02/2010

My son has night terrors too. We have been extremely careful of what he's exposed to, and what images he might see. I have no idea what he could be dreaming about.. but nonetheless whenever it happens I pick him up and turn the light on and snuggle him until he wakes up and calms down. I generally let him sleep with my husband and me after that. Everyone I've talked to just tells me that it's a phase and it will pass, but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking :(

Brianna - posted on 09/02/2010

My daughter had her first and only night terror so far when she was sick, her fever spiked in the night, I had no idea what was happening, I thought she was having a seizure and took her to the doctor when she snapped out of it and woke up, but all she could remember was our scared faces, which she thought were mad faces. The doc said she would be fine and to just watch and let them pass on their own. We explained to her, we would never make mad faces and we were just worried and trying to wake her. She wanted to sleep with someone for awhile but then felt better about it, and it is now forgotten.

Tasha - posted on 08/31/2010

Thats true never really linked it to getting sick with my girls so never thought of that. I know if it's been a stressful day (like I'm gone all day and the routine is off) they have them.

Chrissy - posted on 08/31/2010

thank u very much we can try this. i also read cause she may be getting sick i hope not.

Tasha - posted on 08/30/2010

When my daughter gets like that I sit on her floor with her in my lap (not touching her) and just talk softly to her repeating Mommy is here and I love you everything is ok. It seems to work and she settles down and goes to sleep. Hope this helps!