10 month old having night terrors

[MuffinMclay]

DS has started having what I think are night terrors over the past couple of weeks. He goes to sleep at 7pm then 'wakes' at 9.30-10 screaming unconsolably. Although his eyes are open he doesn't really seem to be properly awake, and doesn't really look at me. This has coincided with him learning to crawl properly.

We've had maybe 8 such episodes. Most lasted about 15-30 minutes, but last night's was about 1.5 hours. He had spent most of the day whizzing around the house and was perhaps overtired?

I've been looking at various websites, but the advice is contradictory. Some say leave them to it but stay close by, others say pick them up, take them to a cooler and brighter room. I don't know what to do for the best. Picking him up seems to make him more agitated, but it is so hard to hear him cry like that and do nothing.

I was wondering how other people have dealt with this.

A firm hug until he comes out of it, it used to work with my 12 yr old... He has now outgrown them
I know its a horrible thing to deal with but just be there for him

My DD used to have these, usually during her afternoon nap rather than at night though. I just sat on the floor next to her (she would be on the sofa) talk soothingly and eventually she would lay down again and have another half an hour's sleep.

Was quite frightening sometimes, she seemed hysterical but they stopped when she was about 4.

My friend's ds had these and she discovered although they only happened at night they stopped when she improved his daytime sleeps. She thinks he was overtired at bedtime. My nephew is 7 and still has them whenever he's too warm because of either hot weather or a temperature. Do you think it might be either of these causes?

I have the same prob with DS....not sure if its night terrors but he wakes up really upset in the night and we have to go in and shush pat him and give him his dummy and little comforter square that he likes to rub over his eyes. Once we have done that, he's fine, but its getting sooooo wearing as out of bed a minimum of two times a night and its a killer!! We have tried not giving him his dummy but then he just cries until he's wide awake, so its quicker to just give him the dummy and crawl back to bed before either of us are fully awake!!!

We had this with dd & I totally sympathise. It's terrifying to witness. I think what it is is a baby becomes gradually more aware of his/her surroundings & learns what it is to be afraid. anyway, I would just cuddle & soothe dd until she settled again. As long as you realise it's normal behavior, it is less horrifying.

ds2 used to have night terrors, started around 7 months i think.
it is scary isn't it.
thing is though, they don't have any recollection of anything frightening afterwards.
i found that the more tired he was the more likely to have a night terror.

now he just talks / shouts in his sleep alot!

definitely cuddle and soothe - don't leave them.
leaving a nightlight on works for my DD (she has them in phases)
make sure they are not too hot, maybe offer some water if you can rouse them.

I agree about the heat thing, because my son used to have them more when it was hot and even more severe when he had a temprature ( he still gets them now if suffering an extremly high temp)

Thanks everyone - that is really helpful.

He didn't have one last night, thank goodness. I don't think it is a temperature thing with him. His room is quite cool, and he didn't have a temperature himself. It seems to be related to overtiredness. Thinking about it, he's had the night terrors on days when he hasn't slept for long in the day and has been very active.

I'll try a night light if this is going to be a regular event, and all the other ideas too.

My granddaughter is having terrors during the day. Last night just before bed as she was bathing. Would not get back into the tub as "a monster came out of the water to get her." This is not the first time this has happened. Has anyone else experienced this?