Night Terrors in a 5 year old....Help needed...

[vanessaw200]

My 5 year old daughter has for the last 3 nights seem to be having night terrors round about 10pm, it takes ages for her to wake and once we get her awake she goes back to sleep (eventually) It also seems to be happening during the night say 3am as well tho I wonder if it might be nightmares then. She is so tired at the moment. She has been suffering with a cold which seems worse at night.

Has anyone any ideas what we can do ????

We'd like to resolve it esp as we have a long awaited holiday on Monday but also it isn't doing her muct good

Thanks

Nightmares (and I've suffered with them myself) are linked to excess brain activity during sleep. Stress and anxiety are one cause. If something is preying on the mind it will disturb sleep so maybe try to see if she's worried about something. Food plays a part. The link between eating cheese at bedtime and nightmares is pretty solid... so avoid giving her any rich/fatty foods in the 2 hour window before bedtime. Other stimulants should also be avoided as these keep the brain too active - no cola/caffeinated drinks, vigorous exercise, fast-paced TV shows, computer games. Being 'too tired' can also cause fitful sleep so an afternoon nap could be advisable.

Good luck.