Night terrors

[Suzy55]

Hello there, I’ve read a few previous threads about night terrors amongst younger children, but I’d really appreciate hearing the experiences and advice of anyone who’s got/had a teenager with night terrors (or whose partner has had them as an adult, or themselves) as my 14-yr-old has started having them - about 5/6 over the past year, the most recent earlier this week. He runs out of his room screaming as if trying to escape something, and once or twice has charged downstairs. I calm him quickly and settle him back in bed and he sleeps immediately (as he hasn’t woken up). He remembers nothing afterwards. I am terrified of him falling down the stairs as they are super steep. He has had no trauma or concussion or anything that could have started the night terrors off. I’m wondering if it can be hormone related as he has grown sooo much during that time? Does anyone have experience of these being just a passing phase? I have booked a call with the GP for a few weeks time? Did you seek treatment? What advice were you given? It is really worrying and upsets my other son when it happens, too :-(

Sounds like sleepwalking rather than night terrors?

hi there, from what I’ve read it is night terrors. He is terrified and screaming out loud.

Hey op, I have suffered from night terrors on and off over the years, similar to your son, I’ll wake up screaming terrified, and sometime try and bolt, I’ve never made it out of the room luckily, I generally come to as I try and get out of bed.

What I found a trigger for me are shadows in the room, wide open windows in the summer makes it all worse! I cover led lights and try and minimise shadows as much as possible. What has also (and I’ve only tried it recently!) is wearing an eye mask, since having that on no terrors. For me it’s absolutely not triggered by anything stress / worry / life related but seems to be in the first couple of hours of sleep where I’m somehow unconsciously ‘seeing’ things in shadows. I feel for you - it’s much worse for those around I think!

I have them and I do think it is related to hormones (peri menopausal) and stress related. I shout, scream, thrash about and have fallen out of bed multiple times. I did go to GP and did have referral for a therapist, worked through anxiety issues and seemed to be somewhat better but the hormones are all over

GP said sleep study work be recommended but impossible to get on a list for an adult, he did say they do take children though for sleep study. Looked into private and we just couldn’t afford it.

gloeing good sleep hygiene (google that, not what you may think it is), weighted blanket (of course not in the heat) and white noise helped as has no caffeine, alcohol (doesn’t apply to child of course), night/bed-routine, lavender spray on pillows/sheets. These things he help reduce frequency but I still do get them. I have broken things on night table, bruised myself falling out of bed etc.

I have them and have had my entire life- most nights. I've been on sleep studies and have had a variety of medicines but unfortunately nothing has stopped them. I've basically hit a brick wall with the NHS where there is just no help they can offer.

Even going private is hard as not many sleep specialists seem to deal with terrors - most seem to specialise in apnea and breathing issues.

Good luck - good sleep hygiene can always help

My DH started with them when he had the problem of an elderly parent.
Is he worrying about anything, like GCSE’s, or dabbling with weed/drugs ?