2 year old night terrors??

[Amyb94e]

Hi new here my daughter is 2.5 nearly 3 she has never really been a great sleeper but the last few months she wakes 2 to 3 times a night really unsettled and gets in a right state, she doesn't nap in the day as she is even worse at night. Could it be night terrors or sleep regression? My other 2 children were sleeping through at this age I know every child is different but just looking for some help or advice really xx

Does she wake up properly when you go to her and know you’re there? Mine didn’t when she was having night terrors. I couldn’t comfort her because she didn’t know it was me.

Yeh she knows it's me, she litrally wakes up screaming and really crying, just cant pin point what's wrong, I have asked her but she doesnt say, the only way she settles is if I climb into bed with her xx

My son suffered with night terrors up until he was about 11! He would start screaming randomly, but he was asleep with his eyes wide open! It was so weird! All of a sudden he would wake up!

To help stop them, I used to read a chapter of a book each night before bed, and left a lamp on. Also he started to wear an eye mask at bed time so he wasn't seeing things that would wake him.

It did work and he settled better.

I know how hard it is so I wish you the best of luck x

From what you have both said I'm guessing it isn't night terrors as she knows I'm there and calls for me, she does keep mentioning monsters that's only been the last few days though maybe that is unsettling her more than usual x

That sounds more like nightmares than night terrors. My DD’s night terrors just passed without us doing anything though, I think they usually just grow out of them. Nightmares might have a different cause, if she’s seen something scary for example. Does she remember anything in the morning?

Agree with above.

We didn't realise we were making the situation worse because by interacting with him we were waking him up. When he woke up he was then just in a terrified state and not sure why. Started around the age of 2 - and they are much better now he is 5.

Night terrors are horrific to live through. Our DS was bright and breezy with no recollection the next morning. He was shattered however because he was missing quality sleep. There isn't much that can be down if it is night terrors - they will grow out of them. Sometimes, if the episodes occur at the same time each night, it is suggested that you wake them about 20-30 minutes before you expect them to waken. This can interrupt their sleep cycle and put it back on track.

I have adult night terrors and it is terrifying. It gives me a lot of comfort knowing that child night terrors are different and they don't remember them. Watching your child go through that - and the sleep deprivation for everyone concerned is awful though.

Millpond sleep clinic have a good book. And a children's centre ran a good sleep seminar. Sadly, because it's night terrors there's not much to be said (the waking in advance doesn't work if there is no pattern to the waking). But it was reassuring to know that I wasn't alone in my own personal hell. Wishing you the very best of luck - and some quality sleep.x

I did wonder if it was nightmares but wasnt to sure and know some little ones suffer with night terrors, she wakes up as if nothing happend, she is very weary (not to sure if that's spelt correct) of everything at the moment and panics about things x

It doesn't sound like night terrors to me it sounds like she is waking up in the dark and panicking. My son had night terrors until he was about 12, usually if he had a virus/temp which he had quite a lot as a child. He didnt know who we were, was terrified and spoke in words that didnt make any sense.

Well I’m an adult who suffers with night terrors so it’s not necessarily something you grow out of. I wake up with my heart absolutely pounding but with no memory of what the dream was about - I will usually have screamed or shouted. I typically need to go to the loo at the point of waking. With little kids they can yell and cry and rock or run around and still be asleep. My brother always put his little lad on the loo as a way of bringing him out of it - not because he necessarily needed to go but because it was a mundane, routine thing without much hoopla. For a standard bad dream I would just do very low key soothing without much talk or stimulation. Cuddles are fine if that’s what works - I dare say it’s a phase that will pass soon enough.

She doesn't sleep in the dark has fairy lights around room with door open and landing light on, iwas scared of the dark as a child and still am now so wouldn't leave her alone in a dark room,she shares with her big sister x

I suffered with night terrors occasionally and my mum said I looked straight through her as if she wasn't there and wouldn't be comforted as I fought her off but I wouldn't know anything about it in the morning, although she said I was literally in a state of terror hysterically.

I can still have that strange feeling sometimes when I close my eyes and I'm half drifting off I get an eerie feeling like I can remember the state of consciousness that I used to be in but it just doesn't scare me now.

I also had nightmares too where I would remember everything it was the same every night I think it was like shadowy circles coming towards my face and getting faster and faster and bigger and just more and more terrifying until I finally woke up. Then suddenly just stopped one night after about 3 years and never happened again.

My 2.5 year old has night terrors. Not often but when it happens it’s horrible. She screams in very real distress. I try to comfort her but she has no awareness that I am there. They last (a very long) 3-4 minutes then she turns over and goes back to sleep 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hate them. She doesn’t seem to have any awareness of them.

Is her bedroom too warm now the nicer weather has started? I've suffered from sleep issues my whole life and overheating when I'm asleep seems to be the root causr of it. I sleep walk or wake up screaming and fighting.

When we're abroad some where warm I need to consider wearing someone light to bed to keep me cool but also making sure it looks OK if I manage to wander out into the hotel corridor.