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Hi, My baby is about 17 mon now. He recently started that non- stopping, colic like crying or screaming, mostly in the middle of the sleep or nap time. He cried and cried until he lost his voice. and Nothing seems to comfort him. He's been teething for a couple months and was doing fine. and I checked his temperature. It doesn't look like an ear infection. What could be the cause. I'm so tired and frustrated about not being able to do anything to stop him. Does anyone have any sugestion? Thanks Qi
You can look up night terrors in the internet for more info. What I've gathered is that they happen because the baby gets stuck in the transition between light and heavy sleep. It specially happens when the baby is overtired when he goes to sleep.
The usual recommendations is to have a bedtime ritual and make sure he gets plenty of sleep.
When he's experiencing the night terror you basically have two choices, either to wake him up (but you risk this hapenning again) or to help him transition into deep sleep. I can usually get my baby to do this by giving her a bottle, having her lie in my arms or on my chest and singing to her. If that doesn't work, I usually just wake her up by taking her to an area with more light and talking to her while holding her. Then I put her back to sleep.
In extreme cases (like when were taking an overnight flight and she kept waking up screaming every 5 minutes or so), some baby cold medicine may help. anon
Our 31 month old son is beginning to experience night terrors. He screams for 45 minutes to an hour and nothing we do can console him. I've read a lot about this but I am hoping some of you might have some practical hints. We cannot leave him in his bed because he shares the bedroom with his brother. When we hold him he thrashes around wildly and usually manages to sock one of us. The same thing happens if we try to bring him to bed with us. I am afraid this is just one of those things we have to ride out but if any of you have had any experience in either avoiding or lessening the severity of these attacks, I would love to hear about it. Thanks. Janis
Janis - our son, who is now 8, starting having night terrors at about the age of two, and was still having them occasionally last year. I have also read everything under the sun and talked to our pediatrician, and the best advice of all was to turn on the light. This decreases the terror for the parents and makes it easier to sit with the child. I would suggest taking the other child out of the bedroom into your bed until the terror is over, and leaving your son in his bed. As you know, you can't talk to the child or wake them from the terror - and they don't remember anything in the morning. All you can do is sit with them and say calming things (not that they can hear you, but at least you feel like you are doing something), and make sure they don't hurt themselves. That's why leaving them in their own beds is easiest. Good luck - I find these terrors to be absolutely terrifying myself, and often can't get back to sleep after the child has calmed. We never figured out any relationship between events of the day and the terrors, there was no rhyme or reason, didn't matter if he was well rested or over-excited - although they do seem to occur when he has a fever.
Janis, Our kids have all suffered from night terrors.
They were usually brought on by:
a. Change of schedule or routine.
b. being overtired.
Advice:
Leave the lights off - the kid needs to get back to sleep as soon as
possible.
Don't try to wake them.
Talk to them in a soothing reassuring tone. Tell them that you're there.
Tell them that everything will be alright. If you ever sing them to sleep,
sing those songs.
A soothing touch may help, but if the kid is wrestling with
monsters in a dream, he may wrestle with you.
Both my children went through night terrors when they were about 2 years old (they are now 11 and 7). I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions on how to prevent it, but do have an observation that I'm sure someone who knows about sleep patterns would find interesting. If they went to sleep quickly and easily, that is without getting up several times or calling out to us, they were much more likely to have night terrors, than if they had a hard time falling asleep. I also found, if you could touch them, that a cool washcloth on the face helped sometimes.
You're not alone out there - I found night terrors so frightening - having your child cower in a corner screaming at you like you are some kind of monster - not to mention the lack of sleep. Luckily, my daughter, who is older, slept through my son's screaming.
Our daughter, 3 years old, has been experiencing night terrors for a while (I was glad to find that this is not uncommon). I was discussing this group with a friend who, it turns out, experienced these terrors as a todler. She told me her mother merely picked her up, took her to the bathroom, and placed her feet in cold water. This "cured" the problem for this friend. Sooooo....one fateful night I attempted the "cure" when Natalie was having one of the terrors. Thus far, we have had no more night terrors in our home!
From: Helen
I did a net search on night terrors, and found the following, which seems pretty accurate and informative:
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Coping with Night Terrors
It's 10 p.m. You're dozing on the couch and decide it's time to go to bed. Just about the time your head hits the pillow, a bloodcurdling scream from your toddler's bedroom propels you like a shot down the hallway. You find her sitting up in bed, wide-eyed. She's screaming and flailing her arms. It's one of the scariest things you've ever seen. As you rush to her, you see she doesn't appear hurt or sick. It must be a nightmare, you think. "I'm here," you say as you put your arms around her. But she pushes you away. The more you try to calm her, the more upset she gets.
What's going on?
Most likely, your child is having a night terror - a relatively rare sleep disorder that appears mostly in young children. Two or three percent of all children will experience episodes of night terrors. Yet by the time they reach school age, most children will have outgrown these generally harmless events.
It's a normal phenomenon of childhood," says Harry Abram, M.D., a neurologist with The Nemours Children's Clinic. "As the brain matures and a child's sleep pattern matures, the terrors go away. This usually happens by age six."
Night Terror or Nightmare?
A night terror is not the same thing as a nightmare. Nightmares occur during the dream phase of sleep known as REM sleep. The circumstances of the nightmare will frighten the child, who usually will wake up with a vivid memory of a long movie-like dream. Night terrors, on the other hand, occur during a phase of deep non-REM sleep - usually an hour or two after the child goes to bed. During a night terror, which may last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, the child is still asleep. Her eyes may be open, but she is not awake. When she does wake up, she'll have no recollection of the episode other than a sense of fear.
Can I Help My Child During a Night Terror?
It's helpful to know that although these events may be disturbing for you, night terrors themselves are not harmful to your child. But because a child may get out of bed and run around the room, doctors do advise parents to gently restrain a child experiencing night terrors. Otherwise, let the episode run its course. Shouting and shaking your child awake will just agitate him more.
Can Night Terrors Be Prevented?
It's likely that if you or your spouse had night terrors, your child will too. Fatigue and psychological stress may also play a role in their occurrence. Make sure your child is getting plenty of rest. Be aware of things that may be upsetting to your child, and to the extent you are able, try to minimize the distress.
Children usually have night terrors at the same time each night, generally sometime in the first few hours after falling asleep. Doctors suggest you wake your child up about 30 minutes before the night terror usually happens. Get your child out of bed, have her talk to you. Keep her awake for five minutes, and then let her go back to sleep.
Night terrors are a normal, if frightening, phenomenon of childhood. If they occur frequently or over a long period of time, however, discuss this with your child's physician.
Fast Facts Night Terrors...
Night terrors are a normal, if frightening, phenomenon of childhood. If they occur frequently or over a long period of time, however, discuss this with your child's physician.
The URL of this page is
http://KidsHealth.org/parent/behavior/nghtter.html
Questions regarding this service? Contact webmaster AT KidsHealth.org.
Hi, I have a 3.5 yr old who has occasional night terrors. What works for us is to have her sleep w/ us. That way when she has a bad dream she just touches me or my husband and then goes back to sleep. I also got her a little book light (a flashlight would work) which she can use. Good luck!
Website for Stanford University Sleep Center
I want to direct parents to the web site of stanford sleep centers because this is where I believe that I got my information originally. Our child started suffering from night terrors at 18 months and they went on for a couple of years. There is now a believed link between childhood sleep apnea and night terrors. This would make sense from all of the previous comments and remedies currently posted on the parents network under this title.
Night terrors frequently happen when children do not get enough rest (and can't get proper rest due to obstructive sleep apnea--usually tonsils closing off the windpipe when in a prone position as you are when you are sleeping (hence parents sitting children up in the bed or children doing it themselves to get enough air) The reports on the web list parents using benedryl successfully (again, allowing for the enlarged/congested/ allergy affected areas to be less inflamed and a child to breath better. Dozens of parents have noticed the link between being overheated--it's also harder to breath when it's hot, and other parents noting the diagnoisi of ADHD in their children (According to Dr. Wesman at Oakland Children's Hospital, children with sleep apnea are by far more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD-(can concentrate if you are not well rested, can't rest if you can't breathe properly)
Children with night terrors are also likely to have the parallel problem of bed wetting later on as well. Our son had terrible night terrors which stopped for awhile with an old wives trick (putting his feet into cool (not cold) water during an episode. They did not stop completely and neither did bedwetting until we had his tonsils and adenoids removed. It was only after some sleuthing on the Stanford Sleep Centers site and various others (our pediatricians had no recommendations about what to do) that we brought our child to Dr. Wesman for a consultation. I would not have made the connection on my own. The results of this small surgery have been phenomenal and I think it is worth it for other parents to start looking up sleep parasomnias and the connection to lack of adequate air intake at night to try and resolve the problem. Thankfully, our son does not suffer from night terrors or bedwetting any longer now that his tonsils and adenoids are gone (they resolved immediately). Please look into these connections if you are one of those parents whose child suffers from night terrors.
THANK YOU so much for your excellent web site. I have a toddler who was experiencing night terrors, and I found your site via Google. I followed the advice of one parent that recommended keeping her feet uncovered. We had just switched to footy-pajamas as the weather turned cold, and had not noticed the coincidence. As simple as it sounds, it was and remains a mystery as to how and why this solved our problem. I also appreciated reading about other parents who were dealing with this issue, as it is truly terrifying. I cannot tell you how heartbreaking it is to have your child screaming and thrashing uncontrollably, and be unable to console or comfort them. I had a college roommate who experienced night terrors, so I was familiar with them; otherwise I would have thought I was losing my mind. Nancy
By the way, I liked the "feet in cold water" trick. If my children ever develop this disorder, I'll give it a try!
Also, my episodes were definitely brought on by stress...as a young child I had them daily when school started each fall and they tapered off after a week or two. As an adult (in my thirties) I sometimes have an "almost" night terror...my mind seems to be able to signal me by way of a "spider" dream that I have unresolved stresses to deal with.
1) Graphic accounts by older NT victims helped me to understand the clear and immediate fear that my daughter felt during her episodes. This motivated me to protect my child as I would if the fear was real - because in her mind it was. I also shared that I had read these stories. Validating her experience, acknowledging that I believe her NT, and committing to help slay the dragons in her sleep gave my little girl tremendous confidence and did much to relieve the stress of going to bed (stress is bad.. it triggers NT).
2) Understanding the physiology of sleep and when the NT comes (usually about 60 mins after falling asleep) helped me to be pro- active. By staying close and paying attention I was there to catch the start of the NT, and in many cases was able to nip it in the bud - sometimes by interrupting her sleep, other times by talking to her in her sleep. One morning she annouced that I was her hero. She had dreamed that the Scary was coming and when it heard my voice it ran away.
3) Stress, anxiety and being overtired all trigger the NT episode. Before we found that out, my daughter would do everything she could to 'not go to sleep'. The bed-time ritual would get dragged out into a 2 hour affair (and stress was high). Then she would lie in bed trying to stay awake, eventually falling asleep exhausted. She was scared to go to sleep. These conditions usually led to an episode of NT. The next night she would try harder to not go to sleep - a downward spiral resulting in regular nightly episodes. Reading these advice colums together, my daughter was able to recognize the paradox and break out of it. Now she has (and follows) her own rules about not going to bed upset, not letting herself get overtired and not being up past bedtime.
4) I read somewhere about 'uncovered feet'. It struck me as an odd remedy, perhaps because it seemed so far removed from the brain(where the problem lies), or perhaps because it's so much cheaper than head doctors and medication. We tried it, and it works! No feet tucked in. No socks. Often the 'nip in the bud' is nothing more that pulling the sheets and blankets off her toes. Some mornings my daughter wakes up with cold feet - a small price to pay for a night without terror.
During this time, my daughter also became obsessed with lighting. They had to be 'On', all of them, or as many as she could lobby for. We all slept (after a fashion) with the lights on. She also became fearfull that we would 'move her' while she was sleeping, and again we had to reassure her several times each night that we would not. Somehow we figured out that she was aware of her sleepwalking, and believed that she needed the lights 'on' so that she would be able to see where she was going. 'Not moving her' was all about her waking up somewhere else and not knowing how she got there - perhaps by sleepwalking. A scary prospect. This was causing stress, and we know that's not good. We now have a standing agreement that if we need to move her, we wake her up and let her move herself - and I mean really wake her up, with sitting in the kitchen, having milk and a cookie and reading a few pages out of her favorite book.
We're both very motivated to find solutions that work for us. Working together has brought us much closer - she's my hero too. I've been writing in the past tense because I think (I hope) that the worst is behind us. I still walk the halls at night, looking for dragons to slay. I still catch my daughter sleepwalking, though not as much as before. Our home is getting darker at night, and we're all sleeping a little better. Thank you.
Mike P.
In regards to night terror advice. My son has experienced night terrors since infancy-he is now 9. My aunt also had them in childhood. We have found that 90% of the time if we place him in front of the toilet, pull down his jamies and tell him to go, he will relax enough to fall back into normal sleep. We have rarely been able to actually wake him. He is prone to have them when he is upset/worried about something, but equally prone when very excited about something. He never remembers them in the morning, but can be tired and grumpy the next day. I have found it necessary to inform key people (babysitter, teacher) so they can be aware when he has bad days. The night terrors also come in series, when he'll have several in a row, and then go a time without one. It is best to always remain calm (at times very difficult)and talk in a soothing voice. I do not agree with one parents advice to have your child sleep with you. That is not good for marriage, or for children. Additionally, movement of someone else in the bed could cause a night terror. Be on the look out for other behavior problems, such as anxiety, including nervous tics. My son has a nervous tic (clearing his throat) that occurs more often when he is having a series of night terrors. I am convinced they are inter-related. Angie
I read with much interest all the comments about night terrors and found the one that suggests cooling the feet of most interest. As we all know, you keep a baby's head and feet warm as thats where you lose body heat, so if you are over heated and having a night terror, cooling the feet would help. When my grandson was having NT, it was suggested not to have him over heated in bed, and that helped a lot with how frequently he had one. Of course as we know other things trigger them, as stress and being over excited before going to bed. My grandson is now 10 and seems to be over them but his little sisters, aged 2 and 4 are having them on occasions.My daughter now knows how to manage/try to prevent them.Thank you for all the information, I will pass it onto my son who now also has a 2 year old daughter suffering from NT. Marion
My son has had night terrors since he was a toddler and is now 12. It is usually when he is ill or if he is overheated in bed. I agree with you all that it is one of the most terrifying things that we can experience with our child. I feel his heart racing and getting faster, his eyes wide open and pupils totally dilated. He is absolutely terrified of something in his dream and it makes you feel useless because you are trying to save them from whatever it is.
As everyone says, I cool him down with a wet cloth, pull down his bedding and talk to him trying to calm him. It seems like they last an eternity. I will definitely try uncovering his feet next time.
One night he seemed so out of control I panicked, even though I had been through countless night terrors with him before. I actually slapped him across the face (not too hard) because he was absolutely hysterical. It didn't work I might add. We still just had too ride out the terror. When he eventually woke I asked if he remembered what the dream was about and he said he couldn't remember but he did remember a sudden pain to his face - I said sorry mate, that was when I slapped you. We all laugh about it now!
He has the flu at the moment and we actually had 2 episodes last night. I am dreading going to bed tonight, I feel like just sitting next to him in his bed and try to protect him if he has another one tonight.
I have never looked this up on the internet before and I am so glad I have. Now I don't feel so alone and know that it is not dangerous to the child. Somehow knowing that though won't really make it any easier to endure. Sharon
This website is a life saver. It has been two weeks and finally I reached out through the internet. My 8 yr old son has been having NTs, and it's been awful. Finally I observed the patterns, exactly an hour into sleep. It's summer, and he has no schedule, goes to bed lates, waked early. He has no memory of these events. We have been trying to wake him by splashing water on his face. That worked, and then didn't, so we started using a mist bottle, which works. Shouting made it worse. Cold cloth to the back of the neck helped. Going to check out that foot thing!
But check this out! Last night, I crawled into bed beside him 50 minutes after he went to sleep and waited. Sure enough, eyes popped open and he sat up. I gently put my arms around him, said, "I'm right here", and he laid back down. I was out of there in 3 minutes, and that was it. A great relief from the screaming and hitting at his eyes we'd been having. So maybe a little circumvention does help! Thanks! Lucinda
Hi I have a 9 yr old son who has suffered fron night terrors for at least 5 years. At first my husband and myself did'nt know what the heck was going on we thought he was having bad dreams, then one day I was watching Good Morning America (or one of those shows) and they had a special on about night terrors and had the boy and his mother on the show and they showed footage of an actual NT happening and it was so strange to see my sons nightly actions taking place on tv with another young boy. Everyone is so right you feel so helpless to your own child when this is occuring. But I have tried a few different tactics that I have read about-like waking him up about an hour after he falls asleep, having him use the toilet when he is having an episode, cooling his feet or uncovering them after he falls asleep-because I do notice he sleeps really hot, putting his hands is cool water. I am so thankful for seeing that show and for looking up NT on the computer to see of there was anything out there on the subject. So I want to give a big thank you to the Berkley parents for their web-site. I also love to read everyones stories and suggestions what a great idea to do this. Good luck to everyone who has a child who suffers from NT as my son does. I will continue to do the different suggestions that I have read about although he doesn't have tham as often, as before so maybe he is growing out of them. But I also agree with the fact that if they are worriers, anxious, or stressed that they occur more so than not because my son is the biggest worry wart there is....very unlike my daughter who luckily doesn't and has never had a NT. Dawn
My a 6yr old grandson has had NT since he was at least one yr old. If he is very warm while sleeping he will always have a NT. He likes to sleep uncovered and just in his underware. The other day my daughter took him to his pediatrician for his annual exam. She mentioned his NT's and his pediatrician doesn't think it is NT. His reasoning is while he is in his screaming thrashing stage he is saying go away, or don't do that, etc. The doctor said in a real NT the children do not verbalize anything. His therory is it is a type of migrane. He is thinking about sending him to a pediatric neurologist to be studied for sleep disorder. I find this very strange. My question is have any of your children said anything during their terror? I hate to put this child through anything unecessary. The talking is the only thing the doctor is going on. B.
Hello. My 2 year old daughter started having night terrors at about 18mos old. Then we could calm her with bringing her into bed with us, after awhile, I could just reach my hand into the crib and hold her hand and she would calm, and then they disappeared. The NT's have begun again, she starts screaming hysterically between 1 and 1:30am and again between 4:30 and 5am. She will not begin to calm until I pick her up, she grabs on for dear life and will only 'sleep' if I hold her, her Daddy isn't even good enough. She was always one who cries if her blankets are off, so overheating isn't it. But what I DO think is the problem---she had general anesthesia both last fall anf last week for surgery, but is it the anesthetic or the surgery memory???? Jacqui
My 2 year old son was just "Diagnosed" with NT. I since have read A LOT about it as well as talk to other parents and friends. One friend told me her best friend who is 33 still has them and has had them since he was 2. She said something that caught my attention. This friend of her's is clausterphobic. So when he feels trapped at night it is triggered. A simmulation to what most of you are saying and makes since. Putting the child's feet in cold water, leaving them uncovered, etc... Re-enforces the fact they are not trapped. Possible makes them feel like they are outside. I had wondered before if my soon my have a fear of small places because he doesn't like certin types of restrictions. Examples, his crib, playpen or a car seat we had that the sides came around on. He also really doesn't like closets or elevators. So thank ALL of you for helping me to figure this out! You have just given us our nights back!!! :)
Alyee
Our 3-year-old son has been having night terrors for about 6 months now and it is the most difficult thing for us to deal with because we feel so helpless. I have found this website to be most useful with giving advice and support. I will definitly try keeping him a little cooler at night, especially the feet. Looking back, many of the NT's occurred during warmer nights, as well as a change in routine. Thank you all for taking the time to share your stories and experiences. Judy
Regarding talking during night terrors. My 7 year old daughter first had a night terror at about 18 months. She didn't have another for several years. This summer, for the past two weeks, she's had one nearly every night, about an hour after falling asleep. She calls out "Mom," and screams. She also says bits of sentences, like "no, I don't want to...." and "I have to find....." then she starts screaming and slapping the air, or me if I am holding her. It lasts about 5 minutes, then she settles back to sleep. At that point, she sometimes wakes up with no recollection of the event. She had another just 1/2 hour ago. I was with her the whole terrifying time. I asked her afterward, did you have a dream? "Yes," she said, "I dreamed about the most beautiful pony." "Was I there?", I asked. "No, you were asleep." "Was Dad there?", I asked. "Yes, he was making me breakfast." I don't believe her responses had anything to do with the NT, which really puzzles me. Maybe that's part of not recalling the episode. Maybe she was remembering a real dream from the previous night? I wonder if there is a personality profile? My daughter is intuitive, observant, and a worrier as well. Thank you for all your postings, it has been so helpful. Diane
I was a child who had night terrors for about 2 years on and off. At one point they started to become more frequent. My father put an old radio in my room and turn it on real low. (an oldies station) Never had a night terror after that. I think it kept my mind busy with the sounds? I slept with the radio on until I was about 20, and now being 32, I still know all the words to the oldies. It worked for me, give it a try. Good luck. Trevor
My 6yr old daughter started having night terrors six months ago, I would say she had one or two a week normally about 60 mins after falling asleep. She is currently having them nightly, probably due to the heat and school holidays. She is a worrier and gets very irrate if she does not get her own way (spoilt some people would call it), we are working through this at the moment but her attitude is new to us as she was always polite, quite placid and easy going. We have tried all manner of things, cool feet, cold water bath to put feet in during terror, keeping bedroom ventilated, we have spoke to her about it but has no recollection. She was very upset to see me one morning with a split lip where she jumped up into my face, I now try not to go too close as she seem's to have adult strength when going through this. What I have found that helps is like Trevors notes before me, If I Press Play on her cassette recorder relaxing music is heard by her I do not need to approach her! and she calms down almost immediately, sometimes she does a second little cry out, but generally falls back to sleep and I let it play until the tape ends. I hope this helps for someone else & continues to work for me as I do find it hard to live with. At present I would not consider getting in a babysitter or having her friend to sleep (Yes sleepovers have started at this young age!) until we have a long spell without this. Good Luck to us all, Tina...
Last February, 5 months ago, my then 18-month-old daughter started having what her pediatrician calls night terrors. She has had them every single night since the first one. Hers, however usually start about 4 hours after she goes to sleep (around 12:30) and last until 5:00 or so. They occur every hour or, like two nights ago, every 10 minutes (I'm not exaggerating.) I've tried every "trick", I've untucked and uncovered her feet, I've run her feet under cold water, I've let a light on, I bought her a noise machine, I've brought her into our bed, I've let sleep in her brother's bedroom (luckily, he slept through it all.) Nothing is working. It doesn't seem to be bothering her during the day but my husband and I are running on very little sleep. Any more advice? Thanks. Christelle
Just found this website today..for the past 3 nights my son has been experiencing night terrors combined with sleepwalking. He is 8 years old and has never had this problem before. He is walking down about 15 stairs to get to our back door, which he has opened. The only thing keeping him from going outside has been the chain on the door. After the first night we proped a chair up against the door, but he moves it out of the way with no problems. It seems that when he can't "get out" is when he starts screaming for me! He has no memory of this the next morning and even asks me why I am sleeping with him. I've read all the letters on this webpage and I'm wondering if anyone out there has found night terrors in children related to starting a new sport? My son has just started football and school starts in a couple of days. These are the only things that could be considered stressful in his life right now. He is very active in sports (Plays baseball, does wrestling in the winter) so he is used to the physical part of football. I just can't think of any other reasons for him to be experiencing night terrors. Would love some input and will try some of the recomended "cures" on this wabsite. Lori
My daughter, now 25 months old, has been having Night Terrors since she was just a few months old. We didn't know about Night Terrors and were horrified in the beginning. Reading the comments on your web site has made me realize that she probably is hot or slightly feverish (still teething). The most recent Night Terror was two days ago. She would not take her usual 2-hour nap at 1:00 p.m., so by 6:00 p.m. she was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch. I moved her to her bed where she slept another 15 minutes before the Night Terror began. I picked her up and brought her into the den, sat her on the couch, kicking and screaming the whole time. As usual, she didn't say any words, but was pushing me away as if I were the Boogyman. However, this episode was different because she moved around. She threw all the pillows off the couch. Then she got up and hid (standing) behind a dining room chair. I just watched and let her scream. After about 45 minutes, she came out from behind the chair and said, "Mama home." This was confirmation to me that she was not aware of her Night Terror nor of my efforts to help. For the next Night Terror, I plan to attempt to put her feet in water or wet them down with a wet cloth. We'll see how that works. Jan
... Tried the feet in water trick. It worked. My daughter woke up fully within about three minutes and was back to sleep shortly thereafter. Doesn't seem to have any memory of waking up. Thanks for the tip. Jan
We have a 3 and a 5 year old son. My 5 year old never had night terrors, but recently, within the last 6 months our 3 year old has been having these terrifying episodes approx.1 to 2 hours after falling asleep. He sits up in bed, or whereever he is eyes open wide, fixed stare, screaming crying, thrashing around wildly, lasts anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes and then he falls back asleep. We pondered if it might be a seizure activity of some kind, but now, after much research on NT, I am sure this is what it is. He is completely unresponsive to my calling out to him or trying to protect him, and cuddling or carrying makes it worse. once he awakens, he wants to be cuddled and falls back asleep exhausted with little accurate recollection of the episode. I plan to try the wet feet suggestion next time, it seems like it will shock him into reality. I have definately noticed it happens more when he is overtired or he falls asleep in an unusual place besides his own bed. Betsy
My son began having NT at age 5 years,he is 7 now. We we're in an automobile accident that put him in the hospital. He had one that very night. We took him to a therapist, waste of time and money! Sometimes he goes a couple months without one, then all of a sudden he has them for several weeks. In reference to the grandmother asking about speaking during a NT...my son usually speaks. This week he has had two episodes. During one he said "that scares me", during another he said "it's you!". I've never really known what to do except hold him and try to soothe him. He has never been violent, he has tried to get away and get out of the bed. One night during a really long NT he woke both of us screaming and crying and my husband tried to console him and he kept backing away from him and wouldn't let him touch him...he acted like he was a monster. It was very disturbing. I have noticed they seem to occur when we let him stay up too late or he is really excited about something. And I noticed too that he is sweating profusely when these occur. I apprecite everyone's story and advice. this has been the most helpful website I've visited. It helps to hear other stories...good luck and God bless these children. Karen
My youngest son has suffered from night terrors since he was about 3 years old. It really scared us the first time! We did not know what to do when he would start screaming and rocking back and forth, arms flailing in the air, calling out "daddy, daddy" at the top of his lungs, sweating, and acting as if he was being attacked. We spoke to his pediatrician and learned that he was suffering from night terrors and indeed they are "night terrors" it is horrifying to see your baby in that condition especially if you don't know what is going on. We read everything there is on night terrors. The following worked for us, please try it! Don't cover your child with many blankets or excessive clothing for the first part of the night, if they happen to fall asleep on the couch or some other "safe" place in your house "do not move them" let them sleep, because we found out that when we moved our son within an hour after falling asleep and took him to his bed, it was a sure thing that after we laid him down, we would hear his screams within 5 minutes or less! Also when your child begins with night terrors, sooth him and place a cold compress on his head and on the back of his neck and rub his feet with a cool towel, this will wake them up slowly, and comfort them as much as possible. I would sing the ABC's to my son because that's one of his favorite songs. After my son goes through his night terror he is completely exhausted and does not remember a thing, and falls back into a deep sleep. Since I have tried to keep him as cool as possible for the first part of the night, the night terrors have become less frequent, maybe only once a month compared to every week. We have installed a cieling fan in his room and only use sheets to cover him, and he also sleeps with no socks. Keeping them cool really helps! Of course I would get up during the night and checked on him and after the first part of his sleep I would add a blanket and he was fine. I hope this helps.
My son is 5 years old and his night terrors have turned into a nightly event. Looking back, he's probably had this since infancy, but because the NT were so infrequent, I didn't think anything of it. I should mention that both my husband & I have a history of sleep walking & possibly NT when we were younger :( Guess our son didn't have a chance! I see some people talking about heat and stress/excitement as a possible factors for bringing on NT. Our weather has been unusually hot this summer, and he had been doing some traveling this summer to visit his grandparents. When I read the part about the child being claustrophobic it reminded me of something my son had said during one of his last night terrors. I took him into the bathroom to splash a little cold water on him to try and wake him up (he was running around my room and I was afraid he might get hurt). This did NOT help and he began thrashing around even more. He said the he needed to get out of there, and that he couldn't breath. He sooned calmed down and went back to bed. Of course I didn't! We decided to try something different last night. My husband woke our son up about 45 minutes after he fell asleep. He kept him awake for about five minutes, then let him go back to sleep. He didn't have a NT thank goodness, but my husband was a little tired this morning. We'll try some of the other suggestions if this doesn't keep working. Rhonda
My 3 1/2 year old had her "worst" NT last night to date. It lasted approx 20 min.+/-. She has had alot of "trauma" or maybe Post-traumatic Stress within the last year ie. death,house fire, birth of sibling and a move. I became worried and have been searching the internet all night. A person told me it was not fear-related but psychological. This upset me tremedously. Upon reading these messages, I have been reassured-Thank You!!!! I then called my sister and see said 2/3 kids have had NT' s and expects the third too when he turns 3 or so.
My daughter will be 2 yrs. old next month. I am not certain that she has NT, but from everyone else's accounts, it certainly sounds like the same thing. She has had maybe 10 of them, starting since she turned one. She has recently had several of them within the last few days, and I suspect that it may be because we have just moved her into a bed (from her crib). She likes the bed and wants to sleep in it, but I imagine that there must be some stress associated with making the adjustment. She has always moved around in her sleep a lot, so most of the time she sleeps without covers, even in winter, and she has never seemed to wake up from being cold. I am going to try putting her feet in cold water during the next episode (or maybe her hands). It is awful to lay in bed trying to fall asleep, wondering how long it will be before you have to face your screaming child? I wonder if the "Terror" part is more reflective of how the parents feel after an episode??? It is very helpful to read other parents' accounts and advice. Thanks everyone. Rita
My daughter started having night terrors at age 7 following kidney surgery. it took years before i discovered what was really happening. in reply to the parent whos doctor said children do not verbalise - my daughter says similar things but they are not directed at me. My daughter has just turned 12 today. She still has the occasional terror almost always following a stressful time or when over tired. At their worst they occured nightly and lasted around 45 mins. she jumped furniture, hid under tables etc. she has also tried to leave the house a couple of times. I used the waking therapy for 2 weeks and then stopped. her terrors stopped too and since then only occur now and then. Many of the web sites do not explain that the waking therapy does not need to happen indefinatly and i didn't get her out of bed. I got a cold flannel, stroked her face with it, sat her up slightly and tlaked to her until I was satisfied she was really awake then settled her down. She was older and she understood why this was happening. one other thing that has helped us is understanding that even the slightest sound or movement at the wrong time of night can set off a terror. I never go into her room or make noises near her around that time. As she has got older it has become easier to settle her. i think that getting in there when the terror first starts is important. at the slightest moan or grizzle i try to talk to her and settle her back once she has woken up. Lesley
Thank you all for sharing your experiences and suggestions for coping with the Night Terrors.
Last night was the first episode. My 21 month old daughter started out by quietly whimpering in her bed. This has happened in the past, so there was no immediate concern on mine or my wife's behalf. Then the crying began. So I went into my daughter's room, to comfort her, and found her sittig up in her bed. I reached over to pick her up, and then, her entire body just stiffened and she began to scream. Needless to say, I completely freaked! I had no idea what was happening. I picked her up, but there was no consoling her. She flailed and screamed (that blood curdling scream). After a few minutes passed of trying to ease whatever discomfort she was experiencing, we then realized she was not even awake. We called the Pediatrician's office ( who, can you believe it, forgot, on this particular night, to switch their phone system over to the answering service). So there we were, utterly helpless. We were going to take her to the hospital, not having even heard of the Night Terror s before, and made arrangements to leave my eldest daughter with a neighbor. I dropped my eldest off at the neighbors while my wife got my youngest ready to go, and by the time I returned, it was over, and she was sleeping soundly. Of course, the rest of us were up for the duration. So, when she woke in the morning, at around 5:30 or so, breakfast was ready, the cats were fed, the beds were made, the house was dusted, the lawn was mowd, etc etc etc. All kidding aside, it was a very frightening experience for all involved. Your sight, however, has been and invaluable tool for understanding the experience of last night -- and, yes, it happened agan tonight; hence my foray onto the internet. I'll try some of your suggestions for minimizing the experience. Whoever thought that the ol' college prank of dipping someone's hand or foot in cold water while they were sleeping would actually turn out to be a positive thing in parenthood? Good thing she's still in diapers, I suppose.
Peace
Jim
I had mild night terrors as a young child that continued into my late teens. I did not thrash around or have hallucinations or see bugs as many people do, but I would wake in a panic on a regular basis and spend sometimes hours of the night in a state of terror, either falling back asleep and waking repeatedly in terror or being too terrified to go back to sleep at all. I found that keeping a radio on or the TV on and even the lights if I felt uneasy about sleeping in the dark helped tremendously. I am 27 now and I still sleep with the TV on. A couple of years ago I tried to sleep with it off once to see what would happen and I awoke about every 15 minutes in terror until I turned the TV back on. I think that the noise keeps my mind from wandering to wherever it does when I have the terrors. Jennifer
My (nearly) 4 year old son recently started waking at night time, screaming, thrashing (alternated with going rigid) and yelling 'mummy, mummy, mummy' over and over again. Sometimes he says he wants things (such as toys, a drink etc...but if given to him they don't help) and other times he says things that I can't quite distinguish. Sometimes the episodes last 10 minutes and sometimes much longer. They are nearly all associated with being very hot and sweaty. My son keeps his eyes closed the entire time and towards the end of an episode he is able to communicate with me a little (while sobbing). I've tried different tactics but none seem to work much at making him feel better. At the moment I just try and hold him and reassure him. Do you think that what he's experiencing are night terrors? Until now I've thought they were just tantrums. I find them very emotionally/physically draining, particularly when several occur in one night. Katie
My 3 1/2 year old had her "worst" NT last night to date. It lasted approx 20 min.+/-. She has had alot of "trauma" or maybe Post-traumatic Stress within the last year ie. death,house fire, birth of sibling and a move. I became worried and have been searching the internet all night. A person told me it was not fear-related but psychological. This upset me tremedously. Upon reading these messages, I have been reassured-Thank You!!!! I then called my sister and see said 2/3 kids have had NT' s and expects the third too when he turns 3 or so. Stacey
My daughter has had night terrors for as long as I remember she is noe 9. Two or three times a week she will cry out shout or just talk uncomprehensible rubbish. I always talk back to her reasuring her that I love and she will go back to sleep. However, last night she could have caused herself significant halm. I was in bed when she suddenly shouted out, as I got out of bed to see to her she screamed and yelled, flew out of bed and ran out of her room to the top of the stairs in shear terror and panic.I grabbed hold of her and yelled at her to wake up. She was kicking and screaming in terror.When I got her to wake up She new she was scared but had absolutly no recognition of her terror. She spent the rest of the night clinging to me and both of us totaly shaken up.(my son slept through it all).next time she could fall down the stairs does any one have any advise? Katy
BUT the thing i am worried about is no one mentoins the start if these untill 18 months or later and with us thats not the case. i am glad that i have some info on this now and i just wanted to share that it happens earlier for me than 18 months for all those other parents that are worried about there little baby.
thank you for this sight and your help. Gary
Hi,our 5 1\2 yr. old son has had night terrors since he was about 3yrs. old. We have gotten his night terrors lasting about 1 to 2 minutes tops! They used to last alot longer. We turn the lights on and I quietly keep asking if he wants mommy to hold him and he'll either keep crying or finally say yes hug me and go back to bed. But, we definately ask questions and make sure he answers them correctly, that way we know he is fully awake then we let him go back to bed.Otherwise we found if he wasn't fully awake he might have more episodes that night. It is'nt half as scary anymore now that we have figured out his solution. But I've found every child has different reactions, just keep trying something till you find yours. Good luck, hope this HELPS somebody else!!!! Lori
My 6 year old daughter suffers from NT just as many of you have described. Something that we've found that stops the terrors is to give her Children's Benadryl before bed. When we do this she does NOT have night terrors for that night. We don't do this everynight since we don't want to medicate her all of the time, but we do give it to her if she had a very busy day (overtired) or was having a sleepover at a friends house.(so she wouldn't have a NT at someone elses house) It works like a charm. Susan
My son turned 5 yrs. old two weeks ago. He has been waking and screaming and freaking out in the middle of the night every two to three hours every single night since he was a year old! This has always been a major concern of ours, because it frightens me to death, and has been mentioned every time we visited his pediatrician and his heart specialist and no one ever mentioned the possibility of night terrors.
Today a grad student in child psycology from Kent State University told me to check into night terrors, and I found this website - it explains exactly what is happening to our son. Thank you for enlightening me and giving me hope that he will be o.k.! Cathy
I have Just started to look into this. My daughter is 7.5 and has been having what I called bad drams for a ong time going on 2 yrs. now. I am not sure if they are NT or not. She goes to sleep fine usually with her tv, her closet and bubble light all on and would rather have the bedroom light on as well. She sleeps well up untill sometime between 12am and 3am, then she comes running and shaking with fear into our room where she stays the rest of the night. Over 90% of the time she remains awake untill it is time to get up she is so scared. She seems to be okay during the day and not to tired, it does not seem to interfer with school or any other activies. All though it does take a toll on my husband adn I. Any how I still am not sure what this is if this is NT or not. We have consulted with the Ped. and have tried a few things not much works at this point. I know this is not a web site for help but at this point any advise would be great. My daughter has these 7 days a week! all the time. Are they NT?? Can you give any suggestions? Desperet to know what is going on. Please feel free to e-mail me anytime all of your help will be much appreciatted. Thanks Melinda
Since that time we have repeatedly gone through a more typical NT experience with screaming out/crying in his sleep for periods between 10 min-1 1/2 hours once or multiple times a night. These episodes typically run every night for several weeks to months, then disappear for a few months only to return again about the time we think they're gone for good. I haven't seen any commonality between these bouts. He doesn't seem particularly overstressed or overtired (at first!). He doesn't remember anything in the morning. Is completely uncommunicative during the episodes even if he appears "awake". Last night I got him out of bed and walked him around the house for 20 minutes with the lights on, talking to him, feeding the hamster, drinking a cup of milk, etc. and he never really was awake. It's such a bizarre, surreal experience.
Does this sound like NT's to you? The thing that confuses me is that I've read that they occur in Stage 4 of sleep about 1 1/2 hours after the child falls asleep. His don't typically occur until about 5 hours after he falls asleep (bedtime at 8 pm, they start consistently at about 1 am and last off and on until about 4:30 am). Does this time frame rule out NT's? I'm going to try some of the tips on this site tonight, but would love any input you have.
Kelley
p.s. He has been evaluated for seizures and of course he was symptom free that day! So the test came back negative.
My son, who is now 11 years old has had night terrors on and off for the past 7 years. I have read a lot of the stories and appreciate all the information. His night terrors have not lessened in the actual experience. Lately however, I have noticed that he continues to shake his head as if to try and pull himself out of the terror even though he still does not recall having the night terror the next morning. At times, mostly lately, he seems as if he is trying to tell me something but then holds back...I try very hard not to read too much into this. However, there are many issues with his father (we divorced when he was 2)that concern me during his visitation/exeriences while with his father. Experiences and environments that are completely unacceptable.....to what extent I am not sure of at this point.(dilegently working on) I guess my question is, has anyone experienced something similar to this situation that has, as crazy as it may sound, considered hypnotism or other treatments to ensure there arent deeper psychological issues? Thank you.
Over the last 2-3 years the NTs have lessened but with age he remembers more and more of what has occurred. He will tell me about them in the morning. Yes, he talks during his NT although usually it is nonsense or jibberish and always wants to get outdoors. Last week when he had a NT he told me in the morning that he remembered having one and that he wanted to get outdoors to see the moon. I wonder now if that is why he has wanted to get outdoors all the other times. We had to get ADT security because we were afraid that he would go out one night and we wouldn't know.
He does not, especially now as he gets older, necessarily scream or make any noise but you can definitely tell he is very scared and acts almost as if he is trying to hide from whatever it is that is scaring him. I have found the triggers for him are 1)fever 2)stress 3)excitment 4)going to bed too late 5)heat. He mostly gets out of bed during a NT so I get up, put on the lights, try to convince him to use the washroom - this works 99% of the time. I talk calmly to him and try to get him to watch TV and find something that he might like on TV (for young children, turn on a calming video or taped TV episode). While he watches TV he will calm and within a short amount of time he will be awake and tell me that he realizes he had another NT. We usually cuddle on the couch for a few more minutes and he then wants to go back to bed. I know that his NTs are not as severe or as often as they used to be and I hope he outgrows them. I hear that some people never do.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this site, it will definitely benefit someone else.
NT Mom
I really appreciate this web site. I have been myself terrified over what is happening with my son. He is now 20 months, but has been having what I guessed were night terrors since 8 months. I asked the pediatrician about it, but she completely dismissed it. Maybe she has no experience with it. For a long time I agonized over what we were doing wrong as parents to make him feel so horrible as to have a night terror. I found that they come and go, but had found no glaring "cause" of the problem. In the last 3 days, he has had 4 NT's. Last night he had 2 in one night. I am going to follow some of the advice I read about not putting him in footed PJ's and see if that helps. He also has a cold right now, so maybe it's that. My husband thinks this is all silly, but I will do just about anything to keep my little boy terror-free. On another note, being that this is hereditary, my mom was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which stems from problems during stage 4 sleep. I have read a lot about it, but I don't know if there have been any studies about the two being related. It is just beginning to be widely recognized as a disorder. But I am going to be super vigilant about watching my son for symptoms. It includes chronic aching without explanation, among many other things. Please look it up if you think it may be a factor, it is also hereditary. On another note, Fibro is related to ADHD, according to the books I've read. Funny, because I am sure my husband has adult ADHD. Our family is strongly opposed to medicating our kids for every little thing, as some docotrs are anxious to do, so we are trying to find natural solutions. I will give the feet in water and no footed PJ's a try. Sabrina
I am so fortunate to have found this website because it has confirmed to me what is wrong even though my doctor has said he is to young for them and it has given me so much comfort to see that other parents are dealing with this nightmare as well. I have taken all of your adivce on board and I agree that it may have something to do with being overheated and/or being over tired or stressed.
I have only had a couple of hours sleep every night for the last few months and was despertate just to get a full night so last night I gave him some drowsy cough medicine before he went to bed which did the trick. He did have one at 4am but it only lasted a few mintues. I also put him in jammies without feet and took his sleeping bag off him so maybe that might also have helped. Possibly he has been over heated all this time as I don't remember it happening in the summer months. Where I live we don't experience very hot summers but the kids still sleep in summer jammies even if its not that warm but in winter they are in footy jammies and sleeping bags and our houses are well heated.
I just want to thank you all for you stories as I now feel like I am not alone with this problem and at least I know now that I am not the only parent dealing with this and I some remedies that I can try. Thankyou.
Amanda
This is the second time this week and both times, going to the bathroom snapped him out of it, he went back to sleep almost immediately. I found this interesting that a couple of other parents said the same thing. Good luck everyone, and thank you for this website, I feel encouraged. Denise
Thank you for the comments other parents have submitted. I'll try the suggestions, but mostly it's comforting to know other kids do have NT at her age and we're not alone! Heather
O.K....here are a few different suggestions that worked for my 4 year old daughter. First of all, I think her main problem stems from not getting enough rest. It is virtually impossible to get her to take a nap and when she goes to bed at her scheduled time seem almost more tedious. One would think if she didn't have her nap, this would be of a more easier task.......nope! ;} Anyway, my doctor told me to give her a children's antihistamine an hour before bed time for a week to help train her body to go to sleep. Of-course you should check with your doctor first. This was recommended to help her fall asleep not for the NT. Also I find she sleeps better when the t.v. is on, I turn on cartoons low volume AFTER she falls asleep. I guess the sound and tv light makes her not feel as scared if she were to wake up in that NT mode. When she does have an incident, I just talk softly to her and offer her favorite thing which in her case is strawberry milk in a tipy cup. This has always been her security blanket since she was a baby and it calmed her down immediately. She wont even drink it half the time just falls back to sleep clutching on it. It seems to help to have the ceiling fan on low also even if its a bit cool. I just know by my experience that air curculation helps me sleep so why not. Hope this helps ;} Christine
It seems to happen in "streaks": happening every night for a several nights up to a week or two, then off for a week or two. She doesn't nap during the day.
Another behavior that I heard mentioned once here is that she sometimes "stiffens" up: fully extending her arms over her head and stretching her legs out in opposite direction. While doing this she is crying and her eyes are closed.
She has a milk allergy, so we are looking into possible problems because of that (maybe calcium deficiency)....
Morris
What seemed to help: 1. Waking her up completely--we took her downstairs and let her watch a favorite video, another time let her look out the window. 2. Removing some of her covers. I wish I'd realized it and I would have switched her heavy sweat pants for some shorts.
It was frightening for my husband and me. We had no idea what to do, especially because she didn't respond to us at all. Even a cold, wet wash cloth didn't wake her up. We're glad to see it's not abnormal (although sorry for all you people who have deal with it). Rebecca
The ticket is that if she has a nap which lasts about two hours, she doesn't fall asleep until 11:00/12:00 midnight and then doesn't get a night terror. If she does not have a nap, she gets the night terror. So it's a catch 22 with us....take a nap, go to bed way late and no terror or no nap and goes to sleep at 8:00 p.m. and get a night terror. This leads us to believe that she is over exhausted. When you work the next day, staying up until midnight isn't very appealing. :)
A friend suggested to wake her up after an hour nap, but that leads to a night-terror, too. So, doing the waking-up method before the REM isn't going to work either. We are just totally and completely stumped. We hear what everyone is saying. We read all of the articles, but we still don't feel like we are getting the answers. Maybe it's time to look at a sleep clinic. It's our last hope. We've got two other kids. My 11 yr old never had them. My 2 1/2 year old sleeps with us because she can't sleep through the episodes. Our whole family is disrupted because of this "thing". Help ! - Heather
My seven year old son began having night terrors after having surgery a year and a half ago. The first night after surgery he awoke screaming, running throught the house, and throwing himself against the wall repeatedly. He then had them every other night or so for a few weeks. They tapered off to once a week and eventually to once or twice a month. Although they are less frequent, they seem to have become more intense. They usually start with him getting out of bed and coming down the stairs, he walks into the family room somewhat dazed and then begins crying, followed by screaming, jumping up and down, running from us, eventually allowing us to hold him and calm him for a minute and then becoming terrified and screaming "Mommmy, Mommy, Mommy..." even when I am holding him. He wrestles to get away and you can tell by the terror on his face that he does not recognize us. Last night he had one that lasted fifteen minutes and he kept getting more afraid. Finally we were able to wake him and calm him. He fell asleep in my bed and had several other episodes that were a fraction of the first - just very restless sleep, talking, sitting up, struggling, teeth grinding. Do mulitple NTs happen very often? Any advice?? Molly
I posted an earlier message about another site I found - www.drgreene.com. Since reading from that website I have started doing internet searches for "confusional arousals" and "parasomnias" and "sleep arousal disorders" (make sure you search for SLEEP arousal disorders, if you search for just arousal disorders you get all sorts of other info you probably don't want if you know what I mean! This has definitely been worth checking out as well. All sorts of other sites have come up with descriptions matching what my son (and your little ones) has (have) been going through. Heidi
Our 8 year old son has had night terrors for the past four years and I can identify with most trends reported here. When he is agitated, overly tired, or experiencing periods of flu-like symptoms he has a tendency to experience a night terror. The frequency is intermittent but seems to run for two or three days in a row when they occur. He has actually had two in the same night as well. Generally, our son wakes up screaming and crying. He does not respond to verbal commands to wake but does interact in normal tone discussions such as calling his name and asking simple questions unrelated to his night terror. He often flexes his stomach muscles rigidly and acts as if in real physical pain. The episodes have lasted as long as twenty minutes but the faster we can intervene the less severe and prolonged the episode. We had good success in leading him to the bathroom and asking him to use the toilet. This seems to have the effect of bringing the reality of his situation to the fore and making the terror episode subside. Lately however this technique seems to have become less effective. The second technique was to bring him downstairs and turn on the television. He does not actively watch the television but it seems to create an environment the stimulates several senses at the same time and he settles rapidly. (His feet are uncovered and it is winter time with the heat turned down at night as weel.) After he has finished with the night terror he rapidly goes back to sleep and has no memory of the event nor displays any behavioural problems the next morning.
I hope that these comments can add to this database and offer support and guidance to any parent dealing with similar situations at home. Anecdotally, some of the night terrors have resulted in interesting family stories of the discussions that we engage in during the episode and our son enjoys hearing them.
Good-Luck to all the parents out there going through this and thank goodness for this websight! Maureen
I wanted to share this because often there is nothing we can do to avoid night terrors. All we can do is learn how best to deal with them and keep our kids safe through them. I think limiting tv and video games, early bedtime, healthy dinners and peaceful evenings should be something every house should strive for. But even in the "perfect home" (if there is such a home!) night terrors exist! Molly
I sometimes find him running from room to room. I always try and get to go to the bathroom, but even doing this does not make a difference. If I try to guide him back to his bed, he can get even more agitated, so I do much as you other parents in talking to him calmly, stroking his hair etc. He is very verbal during these episodes (which luckily only last appx. 10-20 minutes) and is usually saying things like 'I cant ....', or 'help' or 'he/she is doing this or that...', but I can never really work out what he is dreaming/seeing. He often complains that 'things are moving around' and 'why is everything jumping about?...'
I find these NTs very upsetting and scary, as I agree that seeing your child so terrified about something, with you as the parent being unable to help him, is awful. I too sometimes dread late evenings as you are just waiting to hear the shouting and screaming start. My husband (who has not yet read this websiteas he!) was getting really concerned and suggesting that he was disturbed and needed help/therapy, which was upsetting. However I will now get him to read this site, which hopefully will reasure him that NTs are very common. It has certainly put my mind at rest that it is normal and will hopefully go away eventually! I will tonight try the cooling down method and if I time it right - the waking him up within an hour of falling asleep.
- THANK YOU for all the suggestions, it really helps knowing that so many others are experiencing the same thing. Sharon (from the UK)
I can usually bring her out of it by grabbing her gently, but firmly, by the shoulders, telling her it's Mommy, and that she needs to wake up. I know specialists may say that you shouldn't wake someone in the middle of a nightmare, etc., but I can't stand the thought of leaving her in that terrified state. Instinct and human nature take over and I have to find a way to wake her. I appreciated the uncovering the feet idea, and will try that next time.
I don't know of a history of NT in our familes, but I myself have a reputation for talking in my sleep, and my 10 year old has been known to sleep walk. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you, especially those with frequent and/or severe cases of NT. Hang in there. Christine
Our son's NT attacks are sporadic but in series, always about 2-3 hours after bedtime and not always after a day of stimulation or s