Night terrors

[ShadowKitty]

Hey everyone - hoping for a bit of advice... I've got a 4 month old baby and my 3 year old seems to have adjusted well for the most part. However, he's started waking up in the night in hysterical tears. He won't let me touch or comfort him and points at things that aren't there. He shouts and kicks and screams and even runs from one room to the next. He doesn't seem able to speak and although his eyes are open, I'm not sure he's awake?

It went on for forty minutes tonight and to be honest it's scaring me too at this point. Does this sound like night terrors? Has anyone experienced this and have any advice?

[blueskypink]

Yes it does. My eldest used to have them. Exactly as you describe - eyes wide open, walking around, waving his arms, terrified of something in the room. He'd talk but we could never make out what he was saying. Sometimes he'd come downstairs and look like he was wide awake but of course wasn't.

Not really much to be done other than sit with them, make reassuring noises and make sure they come to no harm.

DS stopped having them about the time he left primary school. He's in his 20s now. This may sound a bit weird but he always loved Harry Potter and effectively grew up with him. I developed a theory that the night terrors, which only flared up now and again, coincided with him seeing the latest HP film. He's always had a very vivid imagination and I think they just set his subconscious mind racing. I could be completely wrong though! Typically for night terrors, once awake he couldn't remember a thing so was unable to say what had been terrifying him.

Awful to witness - you have my sympathy

[forgottenusername]

Our eldest had them too, horrible to deal with. I'm not sure if it's the correct advice but we found it best to wake her up (cold flannel if required) then take her for a wee, brush her teeth again and re-do bedtime. It seemed to be faster at getting her re-settled than holding and trying to calm her down.

It did pass (she moved on to sleep talking and walking) but I can't remember when. She's 20 now and it's all a bit of a blur!

[ShadowKitty]

Thanks @blueskypink - our trigger here seems to be days he's at nursery so wonder whether he's overstimulated and probably tired...

[ShadowKitty]

Thanks @forgottenusername - I have tried to wake him but it doesn't seem to work - I'll try the cold flannel!

[unicornfarts]

My younger 2 had them for a period of a few weeks and then I figured out it was related to their steroid ointment for their eczema- is yours on any new medications?

[ShadowKitty]

No medication at all @unicornfarts but that's interesting that something like that would trigger it... I guess I'll have to just let it run its course but my husband works nights sometimes so this last episode was hard work.... it went on and on and he woke and upset the baby too!

[blueskypink]

This is quite a good article Shadowkitty -

kidshealth.org/en/parents/terrors.html

[jugotmail]

My Ds -7- gets them if he is over tired and overheats. I sit near him and just keep repeating that he is safe and that i am there. After a few minutes of this I can usually touch his arm and keep talking until i can see/hear he is coming out of that phase. We then hug and he falls back into normal sleep. DH doesnt really get it and thinks he is choosing to behave like this especially when he screams "get away" and hits out but it must be terrifying.

[tiredmummy1991]

My 5yr old gets them, the trigger for her tends to be when she's tried and it's always around the same time at night.

[brainstrain]

My DD used to get them if she was really overtired. She would be hysterical if I touched her so I used to turn on the lights and keep talking to her until she woke from it and then went back to sleep. I used to find it really scary but she would never remember them in the morning. She hasn't had them for a couple of years now so hopefully has grown out of them.

[Codysmum88]

My DS had them, he used to scream and lash out, he also used to walk around the house crying, and hed quite often wet himself. It must be really scary for them

[ShadowKitty]

Thanks @blueskypink that's a really comprehensive article - it sounds like it def is night terrors judging by that summary and everyone else's experiences.

At first I didn't realise he wasn't lucid so now I understand what's happening I think I can handle it better. Thanks everyone