Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Night Terror? Help!

11 replies

MrsMopple · 14/02/2008 22:46

I have just been up to ds, who was crying. He was sitting up with his eyes tight shut and tears rolling down his cheeks. A cuddle over the side of the cot had no effect, so I scooped him out. He was still screaming and crying and seemed to be asleep. We took his temp and it was normal, he didn't feel hot, although was coughing a bit and I thought he might vomit (he didn't). I was just holding him and talking softly to him and after about 5 minutes he stopped crying and roused a bit and after further cuddles is back asleep. He has been waking a few times overnight recently, although we dropped the afternoon nap nearly 2 weeks ago so I was expecting that his sleep would be deeper.
Is this night terrors? And if so, what should I do to help ds (is getting him out of his cot for a cuddle a bad thing, or just useless (even if it does make me a feel a little better, although still helpless)). Poor little chap, it was AWFUL to see him like this and be powerless to help

OP posts:

juuule · 14/02/2008 22:51

Whether it's night terrors or not he was obviously distressed so imo getting him out of his cot and cuddling him for comfort is a GOOD THING. It will pass and he'll feel more secure knowing that you will be there if he needs you.

PotPourri · 14/02/2008 22:55

My DD1 has these from time to time. She goes through phases and it is usually when she is overtired. Have read up a bit, apparently if they have it in the early part of the night it is likely to be a night terror, if later on/early morning is more likely to be anightmare. It is horrible to see. But from my reading it is related to them struggling to go from one sleep state to another (into deep sleep I think). If cuddling helps him, then do it. But if not, it is better to stand back and let it take its course. They are unaware of it in the morning (unless you wake them up and fuss - which is what I did the first few times). It's really distressing to watch isn't it? Even now it leaves me really shaken when it happens. DDs last 5 minutes usually, so I try to remain calm by silently counting the 60 seconds for each minute out until it subsides.

juuule · 14/02/2008 22:57

How old is he? I thought true night terrors happened about 4yo. Not to say that anyone younger is not genuinely upset, of course.

drinkmoretea · 14/02/2008 22:58

my ds is 7 and has had night terrors for ages, 'wakes' up crying or shouting, nothing anyone can do has any effect as he's not awake. I have found the best thing to do is to turn a light on in the hall leave the door open and let him ride it out. obviously be sure that he will not sleep walk. it iscompletely heart breaking though especially when he calls mummy and looks straight past you not recognising you. I was told by my gp though that you musnt wake them. He never remembers them in the morning.
Thank goodness.

Original poster

MrsMopple · 14/02/2008 23:02

Ds is 2 and a half. I was wondering whether dropping the nap could have disturbed his sleep to this extent, but he just did not want to sleep in the day anymore and it had to go so what you say is interesting PotPourri. Maybe I'll have to get him to bed a bit earlier in the evening.

OP posts:

seeker · 14/02/2008 23:02

My dd suffered from night terrors from about 3ish. We found that the best thing to do was to get her out of her bedroom as quickly as possible and out into the living room with plenty of lights on. Encourage her gently to wake up - cuddle her firmly and talk in a normal but reassuring voice. I found it was very easy for me to talk in a voice that sounded scared (because I was!) and that made things worse. Don't take her back to bed until she has propely woken up, and maybe had some milk or water . Mkae sure she knows what's real before you take her back to bed. It's scary, but once you're used to managing it it's not so bad.

seeker · 14/02/2008 23:04

Sorry, yours is a boy. For dd read ds!

I am a bit of an expert on this subject, courtesy of dp, who suffered night terrors himself for several years when he was little.

Original poster

MrsMopple · 14/02/2008 23:05

Thanks seeker, I might try that if it persists. I've never seen him like this before, and hopefully it will be a short lived thing

OP posts:

blousy · 14/02/2008 23:28

Our ds2 (5) as just gone through a week long phase of night terrors (seemed like much longer), for the second time in a year or so. I think the only thing to do is to sit/lie with them and try to comfort them although they're not aware of you. I took solace from researching night terrors - the child has no recollection of them the next day, so you have to try to forget they ever happened.
It's much more stressful for the parent than the child - they are not aware. It is completely different to a bad dream.
Having said all that - it's a horrid experience for the parents! I was all prepared for stirring him after an hour or two of sleep, the textbook timeframe for night terrors to occur - but they seem to have stopped - for now..

seeker · 14/02/2008 23:32

I really think - from my experience with dd and dp's memories - that getting them out of their bedrooms as soon as you relaize what's hapening is very important. Libby Purves talks about "filling the room with panicky vibrations" and I can really identify with that

tryingtoleave · 15/02/2008 07:22

I think my ds has night terrors and he is only 19 months. He seems to have them more during his afternoon nap. He looks terrified and won't let us hold him, but sometimes I can calm him by bfing. He only seems to get them at night if he's missed his afternoon nap, so I think it is a sign of being overtired.

Flip