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Parenting

Night terrors

9 replies

milliec · 30/05/2008 09:13

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milliec · 30/05/2008 09:14

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mankymummy · 30/05/2008 09:15

its really, really frightening isnt it? My DS has done this a couple of times.

i think all you can do is just gently calm her and soothe her until she settles.

i talked to DS in the morning about them too saying they were just dreams and not to be frightened. i dont know whether it worked or not but he has only had two like i said and was happy to talk in the morning about the second one.

you're not giving her cheese or anything like that just before bed?

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no1putsbabyinthecorner · 30/05/2008 09:18

Ah bless her bet you were terrified. I have no idea what to suggest except that my dd 15 month did something similar to this several times a few weeks ago.

DH was convinced she was in pain and was ready to call a doc.
However she was almost awake but I have never heard her scream like that.
She woke up with a loud scream and continued for nearly an hour.

Tried our bed, milk, lights on, cuddling, nothing worked at all.

My older brother and sister said could have been a bad dream.
I still no idea but dismissed something painful as she was fine during the day.

Hope someone comes a long with some advice for you.

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waycat · 30/05/2008 10:40

My eldest DS went through this when he was a toddler, and they don't call it night terrors for nothing - it's very frightening to witness, so you have my sympathies milliec.

When my DS had his terrors, he would scream uncontrollably, go as stiff as a board so I couldn't gather him up to cuddle him, and he would somehow find enormous strength from somewhere, to the point where I found it impossible to even hold him let alone try and console him.

It was most unpleasant, and this isn't probably what you want to hear, but all I could do was let it run it's course. I always sat with him until he'd calmed down enough for me to actually hold him, then finally he would quieten down and go back to bed.

In the morning, he knew nothing about it, which I suppose is a blessing.

I can't really add any more I'm afraid. Suffice to say that it wasn't a very long-lived phase, thank goodness - maybe that will be a crumb of comfort for you.

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pinkyp · 30/05/2008 11:03

i'm just wondering my boys 10 months old and he often wakes up about 2 hours into his night sleep really screaming (much worse than his normal cry) and he'll be sat up so i go in a lay him down and he goes straight back to sleep, he does it almost every night - could this be night tremmours??

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jammi · 30/05/2008 11:03

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milliec · 30/05/2008 15:40

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FeelingEvil · 30/05/2008 23:53

My DD had a couple of night terrors a few months ago.
As I recall, it's put down to overtiredness (so try and put to bed earlier) or stress/anxiety. In my DD's case, I think she was anxious; I had an awful cold and lost my voice for a week, when I regained my voice the night terrors stopped.

I think you're not supposed to wake them as they get more frightened of you do.

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Rachmumoftwo · 31/05/2008 00:06

DD had them for ages, and they were awful. They were sometimes triggered by a full bladder, so I would lift her for a wee, and the terrors would start about half an hour later. Other times it was being overtired, but sometimes there was no obvious reason at all. At their peak, they could last 2 hours, and I would be so upset, but she would never remember the next morning. Then, about 6 months later, they started to get fewer and farther between, until we realised she hadn't had them for weeks, and they had stopped.

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