night terrors in nearly 2 yr old

[Jennty]

Hi, new to this. Just wondering if there is any advice out there for night terrors , which I am assuming my DD who is 23 months is suffering from. At first I thought it was teething as she would cry out in the night and me being half asleep I would bring in in our bed and think nothing of it but she would wimper and thrash round the bed sometines on and off for ages. Anyway last night she screamed out earlier about 8.30pm I rushed up and watched her in the cot only to realise she wasn't awake but was crying, sobbing, thrashing and going completly stiff her whole body, I picked her up and it seem to make it worse I then took her downstairs (where it was light ) and she kind of half woke then fell into a deep on me then I put her back to bed. I then thought to myself well it can't be pain i.e teeth or ears etc as she wasn't wake and surely she would wake up if she was in pain. She seems to sweat alot she has alway's been a hot baby but lately the sweat on her when I check on her is alot and I now realise this is a sign of night terrors, Im talking sometimes complete wet hair and her pillow is soaked and I change it. Lately she hasn't wanted to go to sleep in her room so she goes to sleep in our bed then I move her later on, I know shes possibly abit uncomfortable in her cot at the mo so the 'big bed' is on order, maybe this will help as I know when she moves in the cot she hits the sides and gets frustrated. Sorry for blabbing on just wondered if anyone has experienced simular ?

Thanks : )

Are you sure the sweat is a sign of the terrors, not the other way round. I read an article a few months ago saying that hot chilren are more likely to get the terrors. My DS had them from a similar age and he has now grown out of them. He had them most nights for a long time. He's 7 now and I can't rememeber the last time he had one.

I would try putting on a bit less bedding in the first instance.

DD got these at about the same age. She also stopped wanting to go to sleep in her own room. We never did find out what caused them. Sometimes it seemed like she was dreaming (and she didn't know what was real when she woke up), and sometimes it happened when she was ill with something. She grew out of it though.

As far as I know there is no real 'reason' for them, It's not caused by worry or anything like that (terrors as oppposed to nightmares).
Illness definitely makes them worse. DS once thought I was a massive rock and then a lorry when he was in the middle of a terror induced by a 39.5 degree fever!

I found this helpful

Also I'm certain, overtiredness, being too warm or overstimulated at bedtime can make them worse/more likely

Just to add, a herbalist recommended catnip tea, actually it worked and interestingly its part of the mint 'family' so a cooling herb. However I didn't like to use it because I think it has a mildly sedating effect, I was uneasy about it myself, perhaps needlessly, you may chose to look into it. I did see a another 'alternative' health person and this really worked, the terrors which were nightly stopped dead, I'd prefer not to post detail for different reasons, but if you want to please PM me, this problem runs in our family and I know how awful it can be.

I read here on MN that night terrors often happen at a regular time each night, usually a few hours after the child has gone to sleep. If you gently wake the child about 1/2 an hour before their night terror usually happens it can break the cycle. This really worked for my 5 year old, although he's running a temperature tonight and has just woken with his first night terror.in ages. That's why I'm on MN. I'm feeling a bit rattled by it. I hope your little one gets through this soon.

Just wanted to say that my son is also having them at 2 1/2. It's so hard feeling unable to help. Everyone says they pass, hope yours is past it soon. Best of luck.

Hi, everyone thank you so much for you reply's, it's nice to know theres other people going through it and some helpul hints. Last night was better I left my dd uncovered for an hour or so once she was asleep and I also gave her face and neck a wipe with a cold flannel, once I went to bed I covered her again but left her feet out. I torn because her bedroom is rather cold so in the middle of the night I don't want her being too cold, but yet she alway's seems to be too hot in the evening. Anyway she slept fine for 11 hours last night no problems so I was very please hopefully this will continue, im sure the terrors will come back though as I doubt they go so quickly. XX