What can I do to help my toddler deal with nigh terrors?

KayLea - posted on 11/14/2012

theres nothing you can really do once a child starts with night terrors once you have them there with you for the rest of your life and in my family there hereditary my dad has them i have them now my 13 month old has them i hope this helps.

Andie - posted on 09/28/2011

My ASD son also went through it for about 3 years. With his autism, he is obsessed with fans. So I would sit in the lounge with a fan on for about 3 hours but I could not hold, touch or cuddle him. Also, I found taking him outside wrapped in a blanket and getting a quick shock from the cold air (2 or 3 mins) helped. But the best piece of advice came from a friend who used to suffer them as a child - she would only have them when she overheated in bed. So, I only dress my son in summer pj's and we have never had a night terror since!
I hope this helps, I totally sympathise with you, its heart breaking.
Andie

Dee - posted on 09/22/2011

My ex husband had them. He had them as a child and ended up juming out of a 2 story window. The doctor gave him medicne to take. They got better. He outgrew them, but then got them again as an adult. It is very scary. We realized that a lot of it had to do with what he saw of tv. Not just scary movies, but just random things would set them off. Or if there was a big change in life, like when we would move.

Dora - posted on 09/16/2011

I still remember when my son had his first night terror. It was scary because his eyes were wide open, he as hysterical crying and calling for me. I was right there and it seemed as if he didn't hear me and looked right through me. Many people may disagree with me but what I recommend is gently waking her up and soothing her. Hold her tight hugging her and gently rocking her in your arms. Keep telling her in her ear in a soothing voice that mommy loves you and everything is going to be ok. I did this with my son and he stopped after having 2 night terrors. It may be because of how I approached the situation or it may be a coincidence. I am just a firm believer that if my children need me in any way to sooth or comfort them I will always be there whether the "experts" agree or disagree. You really need to do what works for you and your family.

Melissa - posted on 09/15/2011

Yeah def scary. I sit wit my daughter and rub her back. I sing her fave ong which is the gilmore girls theme song. It calms her down. She has been having night terrors on and off for 4 years.

Pat - posted on 09/12/2011

Anytime you dream, either silently or thrashing around, you are in a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Deep sleep involves no dreaming. It takes hours to get into a deep sleep and hours to get out of it. That's why people need 7-8 hours of sleep, and children about 8-10 hours or more as needed. Keeping a quiet pre-bedtime schedule (no TV) just reading, talking, or soft music, as well as a constant schedule is important for kids (and for us). I had nightmares as a kid, but I tend tend to think it was because my mother was a very nervous woman, and I was too sensitive.

Pat - posted on 09/12/2011

Hello. I have an ECE degree, so I may be able to help. First, look at her environment. Is there tension in the home (divorce situation in the recent past, a death, or even an unruly sibling), something on TV (while adult programming on?) She shouldn't be watching TV in her room before she goes to bed, also. Too much stimulation all day long, too many playmates, and not enough rest time in between active periods, or not on a daily to day schedule will also cause night sleeping problems. Also, eating before bedtime keeps anyone in a light sleep that promotes a dream state. She may be sensitive to the above and even be able to move and talk during light sleep, which I do myself (which is not supposed to happen to most people to keep them safe) If you can rule out the above, see your doctor and see if a behavior therapist might be in order. Keep a diary for one week with anything going on all day or at the sitters beforehand and take that with her past history to your doctors. If he can't help you, get someone else. Good luck.

Megan - posted on 09/04/2011

hey i know it can be scary but i went threw it growing up with my lil brother and now with my son .Me and my parents talked to our doctor,your not suppose to wake them up,just try and stay calm , and try to calm them dowm by laying with your lil one rubbing their back or head and helping them back to sleep

Leah - posted on 09/03/2011

My daughter got them all the time. I would turn all lights on and not touch her until she woke up. I found that you want them to get out of it asap. By touching them this could make the night terror worse because they could think it's a part of the terror/dream. Light usually helps them come out of it. Sometimes I'd put a cold washcloth on them to help them wake up. I also found that it might be enabled by the food she ate. I tried to write down what she ate the previous day when she had a night terror. I swear it was the food dye in doritoes. So monitor her diet and try to get her out of it asap. Don't touch her but watch her until she "comes to" to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. Good Luck.

Mandy - posted on 08/31/2011

I was a sleep walker, until my teens, my oldest who is 3.5 had night terrors from about 8 months until 14 months, then she started sleep walking, which lasted until she was 2. I asked my dr, and her daycare provider. Dr said it was normal and she would grow out of it. Daycare said they hadn't noticed those behaviors, but that she was definitely more restless if she didn't get enough sleep the night before. My mom doesn't recall if I had terrors, but my sister did, so there is family history. I started keeping the radio on very low as white noise, and ensured the room was cool, cold to me, but comfortable for her. And I always ensure her bed time clothes are loose and comfortable. With those changes both night time disturbances have all but stopped.

Karen - posted on 08/31/2011

@ laura - nightmares are not the same as night terrors. with a nightmare (which generally don't start until 3ish) children wake up scared because of them, and usually remember a bit about them. they need to be soothed and reassured that everything is okay and there's nothing scary in the room. with a night terror children look like they are awake during it, but aren't. they can scream and thrash about with eyes wide open but they are in a deep sleep still. they generally don't wake up from them - once the episode is over they just lay back down and continue their sleep and don't remember them. it's best not to try to comfort as it can make them get more worked up causing them to thrash/scream more and waking them isn't advised (the same for sleepwalkers).

Laura - posted on 08/30/2011

Whenever my little girl has a nightmare, we rock in a chair, cuddle.We have had some warm mint tea. Last night we looked at stars.
Sleep well =)

Janet - posted on 08/30/2011

i can feel ur pain - perhaps imagining a white light around him and his bed with angels being placed in the 4 corners of his room may help - it sounds like he is experiening a past life...........email me back if u want to no more

Kathryn - posted on 08/30/2011

My son had them too. Wait it out is all you can.
I would recommend against touching them. Mine got more frantic when touched. Also, I still get them. It is a slow wave sleep disorder in the family with sleep walking. I do remember immediately after, and what it is is you are always in your real environment and then there is something else that terrifies you. Now the common theme is my baby is at risk from something. You actually see the perceived danger, a wolverine, a ghost, spiders, whatever. You do what you would do in the real situation I suppose, having never in reality been confronted with a raccoon in the bedroom for example (Yes, I had that one and still remember). My son has not had one for a few years, he is now 5.5. I get them when I am sleep deprived mostly about 30-45 min after falling asleep. Now I know that if I wake in a terror I look at the clock. If it is 30-45min after I went to sleep I can get out of it much faster because I realize what it is. I taught myself to do this a couple years ago when I read the time frame. The kids that have them often sleep walk later (I do). And older one usually gets out of bed and runs or whatever. I used to vault the baby gate and not slow down to get all the way across my house when my son was little. I also tripped on my hallway runner and got a concussion and arm injury on the stair banister. What anyone says during one will be irrational, like "there is a raccoon in the bedroom." Just help educate them that they had them when they were young. My parents don't remember, but I sleep walked all through my childhood and beyond. Educate them so they don't think they are seeing things in the dark. Good luck ladies. It is survivable.

Mindy - posted on 08/30/2011

I know this is going to sound like a crazy suggestion, but it worked for us. Our firstborn, now 14, had night terrors until she was 9! It took us forever to figure out what they were. At the suggestion of a friend, I started playing Handel's Water Music in her room through the night. I am not kidding you, it made a difference the very first night! She still whimpered a bit, but she did not do the screaming and wailing that freaked us out so badly.

Research shows that this kind of music has a physical affect on the brain. Some anesthiesiologists now use it during surgery to calm the patient (they see a change in blood pressure and heart rate). Night terrors are a neurological issue.

When the music didn't get put on, the hysteria would occur. I kid you not. We played that music for years (started when she was 5).

You could download the music now and, hopefully, see a difference tonight!

Katie - posted on 08/29/2011

Night terrors happen around the same time every night. So try waking her up a few minutes before the night terrors would normally occur.

Nikkie - posted on 08/29/2011

i have a 4 year old daughter who has night terrors started when she was 1 and still going now but they are getting less and less mine got to the point where she would scream at the top of her lungs wanting her mommie when i was the one right there holding her and i was at a loss too i got my moms friend who was a herbalist to make her a special pillow with herbs to calm her that did not work at all so a friend of mine told me to take her and let her pick out a radio and then go to walmart and get the bed time nursery rhymes music and the soothing waters one with the waves and that has seemed to help so much we went from her having one every night to her having one like every 3 or 4 months works for us might wanna give it a try and questions love to help

Christina - posted on 08/29/2011

I found with my son that the night terrors were worse when he had not had his nap or stayed up past bedtime. So I made sure he got his naps and put him to bed a half hour earlier as well and that seemed to finally help. Also there is a homeopathic supplement called Calms, its basically chamomile and other natural relaxing ingredients to help your toddler relax I gave my son one tablet an hour before bed and that helped tremendously as well. Hope this helps!

Annie - posted on 08/29/2011

Our oldest son used to have really crazy night terrors. He would look wide awake....eyes open and in a squatting position. He would wave his arms around and scream.... very freaky to watch! I think its more frightening for a parent to watch, than a child to go through. Our son very rarely remembered anything about his. Don't wake your daughter, or even try to comfort her. Wait 'til she comes out of her "terror", then maybe hold her or stroke her head to ease her back into normal sleep. I'm sure your daughter will pass through this in time, but for now, just try not to let it upset you.

Gemma - posted on 08/29/2011

I used lavendar roo



I used lavender room spray and told my daughter it was "Sweet Dreams" spray, she never had another night terror. Good luck x

Stacey - posted on 08/29/2011

If my daughter is too hot she tends to get them more. We put a fan in her room and have her sleep with a fan on her. That seems to keep them to a minimum. Like the others said just keep the child safe. At that age I would put pillows around my daughter so she wouldn't bang her head and talk calmly. Just have to wait it out.

Karen - posted on 08/29/2011

hello! so i haven't read through all of the posts, but the ones i did read i haven't seen my suggestion (i apologize if further down it was already said!). my son (2) has awful night terrors and i asked his pedi what i can do. his suggestion was this (and i have to say, it's worked wonderfully for us!). track the night terrors for about a week. generally they happen around the same time each night. if you find the pattern, begin waking your daughter about an hour before they would happen. do this for about a week and they will stop. (you don't have to completely wake her, just rub her back or shift her so that she stirs out of her deep sleep). the waking will disrupt her sleep pattern that puts her in the night terrors. a week of disruption will sort of "reset" her sleep. sounds crazy, but it really worked for us! we did this two months ago and haven't had another one since. I was not able to touch my son when he was having them because it would cause him to thrash about like crazy and scream at the top of his lungs. talking to them doesn't help if it's a night terror as opposed to a nightmare as they aren't awake during a terror to even hear you. good luck, hth

Vivien - posted on 08/29/2011

Dear Johanna... I absolutely understand your frustration. Our son is almost 5 and his night terrors improved a lot when we made sure he wasn't watching anything scary on TV (like Superhero cartoons: spiderman, batman, Ben 10, etc... ) and this has helped. Also, try working out when they happen and just before they do, go in and roll her over to he side or even turn her pillow to the cool side. Make sure her room is not too warm, as well as ventilated.. Good luck....

Jennifer - posted on 08/28/2011

I have not had a child have this, but friends have told me that its kinda like sleep walking, you don't shake them awake. You sit with them and rub their backs or legs softly, pet their hair, and sing or speak soothing things. Prayer always works if she knows God is protecting her, She might feel better or feel like she has some control to call on God, even at that age they understand. but I have also heard they outgrow them and there is nothing else you can really do.

Cathy - posted on 08/28/2011

We've dealt with night terrors with my oldest son for many years. They were horrible! And I also tried everything to try and help. Some things that did work: taking him out of bed and into a well lit room, talking loudly to him but in a calming tone to let him know he was safe and everything was ok, holding him tightly. But the thing that seemed to work on a more consistent basis was turning the TV on and sitting him in front of it. The bright lights, flashing, colors, and movement brought him out of it pretty well. Once he was calmed down and out of it then we'd just make him stay up for alittle while longer because otherwise he could sometimes cycle right back into another terror if he went back to sleep to quickly. We learned these tricks from other family members and parents who had experienced the same things. We were also told that he would outgrow night terrors, usually they claim by5-7 years old. My son is now 7 and we've not had to deal with a night terror in a very long time. The closer to the age we were told he would outgrow them the less frequent they happened until they essentially just stopped. I can empathize with your frustration. I hope you find something that works for you.

Lee-Anne - posted on 08/28/2011

My 4yr old girl is just starting to grow out of night terrors. They are only every other night or so. I agree with all the previous posts. Just cuddles and soothing reassurance. Its really hard when they are thrashing and screaming but persevere with it as eventually they grow out of it. It is really exhausting sometimes when its every night though. Good luck with it as it will really test your mettle, just remember that you're not the only one and it is not unusual. :)

Heather - posted on 08/28/2011

I know how traumatic they are to watch! My daughter started having them around 12 months and had them until about 4 years old. They are horrible and scary, but the difference between them and a regular nightmare is that your child won't remember them, unlike a nightmare which can keep them awake. The worst part is for you watching them - just try to remember that all the crying and screaming means that they are breathing, and that means they are okay. I agree with the correlation between the night terror and having to pee. My older daughter sleep walks when she has to pee, and my younger daughter had night terrors (she hasn't had one in 6 months, knock on wood). My husband had night terrors, so there might be a genetic link. Just try to keep yourself calm, and make sure your little one is not going to hit their head or hurt themselves. They WILL evenutally go away, and there will be no harm done. And you will be soooooo empathetic with another parent who is going through the same thing!

Elizabeth - posted on 08/28/2011

Our son started having them around 7 mos. I think they might be hereditary, his father had them, and there are sleep walkers in my family, a neurologist told me the 2 things are related. He also told us they can be a sign of silent seizures or other health issue such as asthma. Both of which we found out our son had. Once his seizures were under control, around 5 years old they came to a sudden stop. From 2 - 3 times a week to none at all. He no longer has seizures, and will occasionally have a terror, usually following a major asthma attack. Our youngest has terrors, she also has CP this may or not be a factor for her personally. We did learn with both kids thst any sort of stimulation, talking, singing touching, anything, made them either worse or last longer. Doing nothing, just watching to make sure they don't get hurt makes them less traumatic. Nothing = 5 - 10 min Stimulation= 20 - 30 min.

The neurologist had told us that 1 in 10 children suffering from night terrors are likely to have 1 or more of 6 underlying causes: seizures, asthma, autism spectrum, dyslexia, general neurological disorder (CP, Downs Syndrome et.) or sensory processing disorder.

If nothing else seems to help, you can talk with your pediatrician about ruling out underlying causes.

Allana - posted on 08/24/2011

My daughter is now 4 1/2 and has been having night terrors for years. It IS a scary thing and its tough because you feel so helpless. We discovered about 9 months ago that our daughter was having them because she needed to get up and pee. We take her to the bathroom moaning, thrashing and screaming- she pees- and then we put her back in bed. Sometimes she goes right back to sleep and sometimes she continues to have a night terror for a while. They also definitely happen most often when she is over-tired so I think that is a big piece, too. From what I read, there is nothing really you can do to stop them. Just being there, speaking calmly, and making sure she doesn't hurt herself is all you can do. I think its more traumatizing for the parents than it is for the child. I often ask my daughter if she remembers waking up at night and she never does. Good luck!

Emily - posted on 08/24/2011

My son (3) has bouts of night terrors as well. You might notice that they start around the same time every night. Go and rouse them about 30 minutes before they typically begin. Mind, don't actually wake them, just nudge them a little so that they roll over or change positions. This briefly interrupts their sleep cycle. Do this every night for a week, and they'll be gone. I notice my son starts to get them again when his sleep schedule gets off due to vacations, staying up too late, etc. But when they start, we do the nudging 30min before, and it works like a charm! Good luck!

Kathleen - posted on 08/23/2011

It is for us mothers unbearable to watch our child go through this. Mine did this for almost a year. There is nothing really you can do. It's too dangerous to wake them. At the time my son was in a toddler bed, low enough to the floor if he were to fall out, and every night we moved everything away and out of his bed just in case he were to fall. Make sure there is nothing around that your daughter can hurt herself on. Go in the room, I watched my son most nights as you can hear it when it begins. I just sat next to the bed rubbed his back, his stomach and his hair and either sang or said in a whisper, it's ok Mommy's here. The will eventually calm down, and yes they eventually go away. There are things that may help during the day. Look at her nap time, what she intakes from media movies, television, video games if your S/O plays any. These can make the terrors worse. The over stimulation or overtired can produce the same results as a night terror. It will get better, just do an awesome routine before bed, bath, cuddle, read a book, or watch a favorite movie like Dora, or sesame street. Then tuck her in. It won't last forever.

Carrie - posted on 08/23/2011

I agree with the homeopath doctor, they are amazing and can usually help with almost any issue. SLEEP is also a factor. My daughter only has a night terror when she doesn't get enough sleep.

Tina - posted on 08/23/2011

Dear Johanna, I have to cope with the same with my boy. Thank God I found a pediatritian who is specialized in night terror, who is also homeopath. He's been giving my boy homeopathic medication and since the first dose (last December) the episodes got more and more rare. I would suggest you look for an specialist, I had 3 years of suffering with different pediatritians who all told me I had to wait and cope with night terrors because one day they would go away. But it is not like that, a specialist is able to help more and homeopathy did almost cured my boy (episodes dimmished from every night to once in 4 months).
Good luck and all my sympathy.

Amy - posted on 08/23/2011

Erin,
It does seem that the full moon affects people's sleep and moods, so I would say that is definitely possible. My son has them when he is overstimulated and exhausted. When he started school last year and didn't get a 2 hour nap like he was used to, he had them every night for awhile.

Erin - posted on 08/22/2011

Im with Michelle on this. I have a 21 month old who has been having them once a month for the past 8 months. It's the worst thing in the world to just sit there and watch, but thats all you can do. Just make sure they dont hurt themselves and talk in a low soothing voice, something repetative. Just remember that they are only haveing a dream and all you can do is make sure she is safe. I wish you well and hope theys top soon.
Just as a question to others responding, has anyone noticed a trend that might bring on the night terrors? My partner and I notice it only happens the day before and the day of Full Moons? has anyone heard anything like this?

Samantha - posted on 08/22/2011

A friend of mine said her daughter had terrible night terrors and that a visit to a good chiropractor stopped them immediately. Hope you can find some relief somewhere, somehow.

Amy - posted on 08/21/2011

My son has them when he is really exhausted. If we have a really active, exciting day, you can bet he will have one. His pediatrician recommended using a little bit of Benadryl on those types of nights. It does seem to help. If he still has one, it is much shorter in duration. Also, if you know that you are going to have a crazy day, try to take time out to let them rest. They don't necessarily have to sleep, but just lay still for a bit and let their body rest. Good luck. I know how scary and exhausting they can be.

Dawn - posted on 08/20/2011

It has a lot to do with being overtired... My son would get them on nights that we were busy...a party night, a holiday, a vacation. He would thrash and scream. We would pick him up, and take him outside. The outside air would wake him up and then he would go back to sleep. It was nothing to do with spiritual, it was over stimulation. He did that from about 18 months until almost 3 years old.

Teresa - posted on 08/19/2011

i have a friend whose son is teen age and they play music in his room to stop the night terrors. maybe its a movie... if its music its classical and if its a movie its a disney movie. i know nightmares and night terrors are two very different things but with my kids' nightmares i gave them a night light. and that helped them. good luck! i hope you find something that helps!

Janet - posted on 08/19/2011

try putting a citrine crystal in the corner of her room under her bed - my little girl had the same thing around the same age - kids that are that age tend to see things we as adults can't - explain to her that they cannot hurt her and to call on arch angel michael to dispel them - a night light would also work as entities do not come close when the light is on

Gretchen - posted on 08/19/2011

I have not dealt with night terrors personally, but from those I know that have - I've drawn these conclusions. There are two possible causes: dietary and spiritual. Only one mom mentioned a spiritual solution: she bought a dreamcatcher. If it is not a food intolerance, consider spiritual torment. Jesus Christ saves and protects from evil spiritual activity. Worship music, bible scripture reading out loud, and prayer to Jesus Christ out loud could be well worth a try. Best wishes.

Katrina - posted on 08/19/2011

Hi, my 2 year old only suffered for about 6 months, but I learnt a trick that really helped him. In his case, he was going to bed really tired and falling into a deep sleep quickly. His terrors would put him a zombie like state, thrashing screaming and not wanting to know either my husband or I. Anyway... We tried rousing him about 2 hours after he fell asleep. Not to wake him but to get him to respond so that he would then return to a deep sleep at the right rate. Somehow it works. Good luck with anything you try, no kid or parent should have to go through episodes like that!

Merri - posted on 08/19/2011

Two out of three of my kids had night terrors until I learned that sweets can trigger them. We now do not consume sugary foods within 3 hours of bed time. As a result, the night terrors have dramatically reduced in frequency. A calming night time routine also helped. I read only happy bedtime stories and am careful to leave the strange or scary stories for the day time.

Lindsay - posted on 08/19/2011

I have had to watch my 4 year old daughter suffer from nightmares night after night to the point where it was starting to really upset me.
I took her to a shop that sell dream catchers and made her pick out the one she wanted, she knew then that it was to help her have a peaceful sleep and since then it has worked.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/18/2011

Also she won't remember the night terrors. Nightmares they can remember but not night terrors. It made me feel a little better to know that he wouldn't remember the confusion and fear.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/18/2011

My son had them too. Two things seemed to help. If he has a bunch of energy he isn't getting out try more outdoor play. He seemed to have better nights when he had a chance to play and get out that physical energy. Also a friend of ours was told to wake his son for a few minutes about 45 minutes after he'd fallen asleep. Do a search online before you try that because I'm not exactly sure if it was 45 min or 90 it's been a while. Our son has outgrown them but I do remember how scary it was. These are only things that helped but we still had them some nights. Try not to touch while it is going on. With my son it seemed to make it last longer. Have faith that she will grow out of it. I hope one of the suggestions helps. I'll say an extra prayer for you and your little girl.

Vicki - posted on 08/18/2011

My 2 year old has had night terrors since he was an infant. They got really bad right around 2. He is 29 months now and just had his first one in a out 2 months the other night. They have been horribly scary for us. He screams as if someone is literally torturing him and he acts terrified of everything. Approaching himmake him scared as if you are attacking him. He has had terrors that last an entire hour, which is fairly abnormal I think. When he was having them a lot he would throw himself on floor and thrash around, hit anything he could, yell no no, and look at us but not actually see us or acknowledge us other than acting terrified. I used to try to hold him and comfort him when I could. I learned that the best tactic was to leave him alone as much as possible, not touching him or talking too much other than an occasional " it's ok, mommy is here". Usually he is trying to throw himself off bed and we have very hard floors so I had to literally battle with him to keep him from throwing himself on hard floor & getting hurt. This made it worse. If I leave him alone and let him lay there or thrash around on floor and just make sure there's nothing around or him to get injured, it woul pass more quickly & eventually he would "snap out of it". I can always tell when he eventually will respond to me saying mommy is here by reaching arms out & saying mama. I talked to his doctor and to a child psychologist. I don't think the pediatricians really understand this strange behavior. His doc told me when he wakes up screaming to just tell him to go back to sleep and he should roll over & go back to sleep. That was insane to me. She obviously had no concept of how violent and extreme these terrors are. We found another doc! He seems to be having them less but his last one was strange because he is older & he did throw himsel around more in middle of room into his toys and acted like he was so scared of me, just kept running up & hitting at me yelling no as if I was atacking him and wanted nothing to do with his dad, wouldn't even look at him. When he wakes up he is back in love with us & completely happy & at peace. It is crazy! So frustrating! I just hope he outgrows it soon & continues to have fewer & fewer because they seem like pure torture for him & there is nothing we can do. Best advice though, giver her space an let her get through that cycle of "sleep" or transition between the phases of sleep that they get stuck in. The less contact or awareness she has of you the quicker she should make that transition on her own without becoming more frightened at sights and sounds around her. Dont fight it or try to wake her up or anything. I empathize completely and wish you and her luck and peace!

Melissa - posted on 08/18/2011

it may be scary, my son had them when he got really tired, so we just made sure he got more rest during the day. It happened more at the change of seasons. I don't know if that is when they get worse for you and if they do, maybe offer your daughter more rest during those times, maybe more nap time, or if you don't do naps a middle of the day movie time. My son and i will do cuddle time in my room on my bed while my daughter naps and that way he gets rest, and he watches a movie. i don't agree with tv/ dvd players in kids rooms, but i have one in my room, so that way it's my happy medium for his quiet time- considering he is 5 and doesn't need a nap now! However, when she trashes her body around just remember it's scary but you are there because you are making sure she is safe during the terrors. Just like a seizure- when a person has a seizure you need to protect them to not injure their head, that's your job mom just be her gaurdian, stay strong- giver her pleanty of time to rest duringthe day time too if not already!

Claudia - posted on 08/18/2011

Stay with her until she wakes up. With night terror she may look like she is awake but she is not. Just try to keep her safe during the time and when she wakes up and realize that you are with her, reassure her that she is safe, and that you will stay with her until she falls asleep again. I use to have night terrors until I was 8 years old, and my mom (single mom) would let me sleep with her in her bed. Being with her made me feel safe and I could sleep.

Valerie - posted on 08/17/2011

My son would do that and nobody had told me that it was night terrors causing it. It is def scary to wake up to your kid screaming and arms and legs flying. I couldn't find anything to stop it from happening but after I calmed him down I stayed with him till he fell asleep. Sometimes music did help but for the most part he just grew out of it. I wish I could be of more help hope they go away soon :)