Anyone notice a connection between ASD, SPD and similar and night terrors?

[hereidrawtheline]

DS had what I can only assume was a night terror last night. He went to sleep as normal and then about 2 am we heard him screaming in his room. He was out of his bed but had shut his bedroom door - it is normally left open - I think he must have shut it by accident and he was screaming that he couldnt open it. I can imagine he felt trapped and afraid as it would have been dark in his room with the door shut and he panicked.

But he never seemed to wake up. He was screaming really terrified. Then he wanted to re-enact it, he wanted to open the door himself (we had obviously opened it when we went in to help him) but he was in such a state he couldnt - he was still asleep I am sure of it.

It was in danger of getting really out of control so I did our disaster procedure, I picked him up and held him inside my legs with my arms wrapped around him and rocked him and sung to him til he calmed completely down.

He does not know why he was out of bed in the first place, to get to the door to close it then start the screaming. He wears a nappy at night so not going to use the potty or anything. He is as yet still undiagnosed - we see CAHMS this coming Thursday. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

[rmls09]

Hiya, I'm currently awaiting an assessment for ASD for my 8 yr old son who has previously been diagnosed with ADHD. He often has night terrors which consist of short incidents several times in a night. He screams out 'no, no get off me' and 'leave me alone' and similar.
He also sleep walks occasionally too (and you can have full conversations with him - eyes open and everything, very strange!)

I was doing some reading online last night and I found a couple of sites that say there is a link btwn night terrors/sleep walking and ASD spectrum or similar but I'm not sure how reliable it can be considered to be.

Hope this helps a little bit, don't know much about it all myself as ASD has only just become a 'real' possibility for us.

[Widemouthfrog]

I have had similar incidents with DS where he is screaming and absolutely terrified but does not seem to be awake. Once he was so terrified he was trying to climb out of the window to escape. I had to do similar to you and just physically restrain him until it passed.

No idea if it is ASD linked, but I do think sometimes he cannot separate his dreams from reality.

[Goblinchild]

My son used to have them when he was 7 or so, and they tailed off around 9. He couldn't remember anything about the event the day after. It was almost as if he were in a different reality where position and location had altered, as well as what he could 'see' that I couldn't.
Horrible to observe and be a part of, but you can get through it. It will pass.

[hereidrawtheline]

Yes he has had at least one or two of these before. One was truly horrific. I am actually just grateful I have the ability to calm him down I dread to think what would happen to him if I wasnt around.

[magso]

No idea if night terors are linked to asd but ds has them. Started about age 4 ( he is 9 now) and he too wanders about. It can be really upsetting (especially if he treats us as monsters!) but I usually find it best to gently stear him back to bed and not wake him. If woken he is very confused! He gets them less now!

[wigglybeezer]

Hmm, I have sometimes wondered about this, DS1 and DS2 both had night terrors and DS2 sleep walks in a minor way but NT ds3 has been much better. I had night terrors and sleep-walked and my mother still screams in her sleep! (DM and I are probably hovering near the AS borderline as is DS1, DS2 is just over it IMO)>

[TTkeepsmesane]

My DD who has AS and is now 14 had night terrors when she was very young and her cousin who also has AS also had them when very young so maybe there is a link!

[hereidrawtheline]

well he has had another, last night!