toddler with night terrors. Experiences?

[MultipleMama]

I never thought to visit this thread but I have nothing to do and I'm bored and outsiders point of view might help.

DD is 2yo and for as long as she's been able to communicate - well, since I could understand what she way trying to say, she's been having night terrors and what I believe Sleep Paralysis.

She doesn't have them every night but at least once every 2 week or if she's ill about 3 times a week. She wakes up crying and sometimes this high pitched cry. Her face his bright red, she's drenched in sweat, she looks absolutely terrified or confused and once I or DH hold she goes deathly silence and still.

We usually cuddle her while one of use gets her a sippy cup of warm milk and just hold her. When she relaxes and you ask her it's usually, "no wake up", "no mama scared", or "no move, no cry".

By morning she's usually forgotten all about but sometimes you ask her and she shakes her head violently.

We've done a few doctors visitors that say she'll grow out of it once her neural system matures (??) but that doesn't help or advice me how to deal with it until she does.

To touch on the Sleep Paralysis; I suffer from this. Sleeping on my back, napping too long, or not sleeping for long periods trigger it. Sleeping on my back is the main trigger. I thought maybe she suffers from it too as she sleeps on her back, and with the "no wake up, no move" comments it made sense. We've tried getting her to sleep on her side or stomach but when we check on her she's back on her back.

Sorry about the long post but I thought you might have more advice if you knew the back story. She had a night terror the day before yesterday and I guess my mind is still thinking about it.

Does anyone have experience with toddler having nightmares/night terrors that could lend some of their advice, are we doing something that triggers her or comforting her the wrong way?

I don't know if it makes a difference but she suffers from separation anxiety, very badly when younger but it's settled a little now.

When my DS was young he had them for a good 6 months, the same as you are describing.

My gran gave me some good advice.

My DH was getting in from work near DS bedtime and getting him hyped up before bedtime.

We changed the routine so it was mega calm for the hour before bed and it made a difference.

Only that my niece had them for quite a long time when she was little - she was just comforted by her Mum or Dad (or me if I was babysitting) and would go back to sleep. She wouldn't remember them in the morning.
She did just outgrow them naturally as your Dr suggests.

DS who is 2.5 had them. 2 or 3 times a week. I did a lot of reading about them. We have cut out his nap (unrelated to this), make sure it is calm before bed. If it happens we bring him downstairs for a cuddle as he was inconsolable in his bed. What a difference. He's only had one but as we had accepted what it was it was much easier to deal with and he settled back to sleep much easier.

Ihatethecold

Bed time is usually hectic around here. DH comes home around 5-5.30pm, and her bedtime is a 6. He usually baths her and take turns reading a story which is usually a calm setting but up until DH comes home she's playing with her brothers.

Would extending her calm time help? Any ideas on how to do while other siblings are around?

I have experience. Being overtired and too warm are triggers. Slightly cooler bath, lighter bedding, pjs may be worth consideration. Music playing quietly on repeat all night. Noting time they occur (nt's are typically first 1-4 hrs of the night) and disturbing the child's sleep may help as transitioning between light and deep sleep is where these partial wakings occur. Resettling to sleep after gently waking before an episode occurs and repeating this for a few nights has helped some.

She had a night terror during an unplanned nap this evening while with DF, so she's been really, really quiet.

DF took her upstairs and coloured with her until DH came home, he took over at 5.30pm, bathed her and then spent half an hour reading and cuddling her before tucking her in - so far, sound asleep.

It doesn't help that she's a light sleeper or that dts still wake up every 2-4 hours and occasionally wake her up.