Night Terrors

Night terrors are different from nightmares. They are a kind of parasomnia, or partial arousal from non-REM sleep.

During a night terror, your child may scream and act agitated. His eyes may be open and his pupils may be dilated. He may sweat and breathe fast. Even though your child appears awake, he is still partly asleep and may not recognize you. In the morning, your child probably won’t remember it at all.

Night terrors usually happen between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. They are most common in youngsters ages 4 to 12 and tend to run in families. They usually go away as children get older.

Your child may be more likely to have one if he is very tired or falls asleep tense, worried, or emotional. The same is true for sleepwalking.

To help prevent night terrors, make sure your child gets enough sleep. To relieve any anxiety your child is feeling, create a relaxing bedtime routine. Also, spend time before bed talking about positive events or reading an upbeat story.

When a night terror occurs, try to stay calm and try not to wake your child. However, make sure he doesn’t get hurt if he is moving around a lot. Your child will probably fall asleep again after a few minutes.

If night terrors only occur occasionally, there’s usually no reason to seek treatment. However, if they occur every night or several times a night, talk to your child’s doctor. You should do the same if you think night terrors are affecting your child’s behavior during the day.