Healthier Living

What are Night Terrors or Sleep Terrors?

Some children suffer from night or sleep terrors. What are they and what should you do about them if your child is having them at night? Read on...

 
   



What is a night or sleep terror?

Simply put, a night terror is a partial arousal that occurs during the heaviest non-dreaming sleep. Your child can wildly thrash about or scream out in their sleep while they are having a night terror.

How does it differ from a nightmare?

Children can remember a nightmare -- if they are old enough to communicate they can tell you details and the "plot" of the dream. In a night terror, they will wake up the next morning and have no memory of what happened during the night.

In a nightmare you can wake your child fairly easily or they may wake up themselves when it is over. They will want you to console and comfort them, they will recognize you immediately. In a night terror your child doesn't fully wake up. They can have a rapid heartbeat and experience other signs of stress and anxiety as though they  were really experiencing the terror. In a night terror you are not able to comfort them. They don't wake up and "snap out of it". They will have no recollection the event ever happened when they wake up the next morning. If you try to console them while they are having a night terror they may even push you away or try to hit or kick you. They have no idea what they are doing.

What Can I Do?

It's not that difficult to figure out what you should do -- nothing. Well, at least you shouldn't try to wake them up. Make sure they are not hurting themselves or someone else and wait for it to be over. It will be shorter and less severe if you leave them alone than if you try to wake them up. Don't bug them about it or ask about it -- they don't remember and asking them repeatedly about it could cause them anxiety and make the night terrors even worse. If you leave your child alone and let them work through the night terror, you should see them gradually disappear.

 

 
 

 

 

 

   
   
 

 

  
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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