Night Terrors! help!

Catherine - posted on 12/15/2009

I have found, my son has them, when he is over tired. Not always something I pick up on, but if you send him to bed an hour earlier, even take going to sleep slowly, it has helped us. I think sometimes their brains don't shut down - and they continue to over work when tired. Food also plays a role - heavy things, banana, cheese etc before bed cause bad experiences. Someone suggested I use rescue remedy drops for my son - his were quite out of hand, and it actually made him worse. Most people swear by it though - maybe my kid is odd? hehehe [of COURSE he is :P ] - but perhaps try that as well? The worry of a new baby also makes for emotional subconscious stress for them - and he might be dealing with that in his sleep?
Good luck

Jody - posted on 11/06/2009

My daugther just stopped having bad night terrors for about 2 years! I found that if I woke her and took her to the bathroom to pee, she would be better and go back to sleep faster. The nightlight helps, putting them down with a story or lullaby and cuddles, bed earlier and calmer routine or sleeping in the same room as a sibling (bunkbeds!) seems to help ease the severity. But the worst is that they just have to grow out of it.

Barbara - posted on 10/16/2009

My 5 year old gets night terrors and i finally asked his doctor what to do. Figure out the time he usually has them and about 1 hr prior to the usual start time wake him up not fully just enough to break the sleep cycle. Do this for a week and it should correct the problem if they return repeat it again. It worked great on my son but its not a permenant fix for all. My sons doctor said if it didnt fix the problem she would send us to a sleep doctor for kids.

Melissa - posted on 10/14/2009

HI Jennifer,

My son is 2 and a half and he has just gotten over the night terrors....I feel your pain, they were horrible and I am glad to see the end of them.

What I did was keep a not of when they happened and what I learnt was that they most often happened when he was super over tired, when he took a certain medication for temperatures and if he has not had a winding down time before bed. I bought him a night light and we changed the bedtime routine to a very calm one. I also made sure he slept for an hour minimum at nursery and changed the medication I would give him if he was teething and had a fever. So far, so good. My sister also suffered from night terrors and my mom never used to wake her, only hold her and reassure her things were ok and that she was there. Not sure this will be of any help! Good luck!

Melissa

Jessica - posted on 09/18/2009

I have heard, even as far as adults are concerned, that certains food after a certain time like 8, can cause bad dreams. I would look into that as well. Possibly (if you do) not do treats before bed for a week or so and see if that helps.

Rita - posted on 09/10/2009

My son had this when he was about 4. Scared me to death, I always tried to keep things positive for him before bed time especially. I usually read him a fun book and stayed with him until he was asleep. It finally stopped.

Jamie - posted on 09/10/2009

Get a sleep study to see what is really going on. Then take him to see behavioral health armed with the results so they can help him. Look online for a support group moms with experience are your best bet. Good Luck.