Night terrors

[Gs1]

I am looking for advice on how best to deal with my 4yr old who has suffered night terrors on a frequent basis for over 2_years. It's now happening 3-4 times a week. He sits up screaming for me ( mummy ) and crying. He is fighting with anything or anyone in his way. His eyes are open but as he is asleep he can't see me there to soothe him. Sometimes it appears he needs to wee but resists going to the bathroom ( next to his room). If I can get him in there he will wee all over the place as he is stamping his feet, kicking and screaming all the time.
I have sought advice from the health visitors, school nurse and gp. Today we visited the gp in total despair for help as I am now physically and emotionally exhausted and he is waking up his older sister too. The GP suggested we let him sleep in our bed! She said she did that until her son was 11!! She also suggested it was down to bad behavior. I am so disgusted at this response and pushed to get a referral to pediatric services. I have tried every trick like waking him before I go to bed, ensuring we follow a bedtime routine and giving lots of cuddles and love. I don't knoiw what to do next.

Hi. We gave I and let our daughter sleep in our bed in the end. Started night terrors at age 5 pretty much every night, but built up gradually to that stage. Same as your GP, stopped around age 11. We tried everything and nothing worked, but we were so sleep deprived for the 2 years before we gave in that we just gave up as we could no longer function. We tried periodically to get her back to her bed, but it never lasted very long. I have since found a book called 'What to do if you dread your bed' aimed at children. It is more aimed at children who are scared of sleeping alone than nightterrors, but I think they are linked and it's worth a try - its available on Amazon. Read the book on your own first, then read it with your son at bedtime - it has lots of cartoons and is aimed at kids. The other thing you could try is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist - they cost between £45 to £70 per hour and there are many that specialise in children. Your GP is unlikely to have anyone to recommend - you are better off googling it online and finding a qualified CBT practitioner that way. Good Luck. I agree that letting your son sleep in your bed is not the answer long term, and best not to get into that habit, as it does impact on your life and the child gets used to it. But if he gets a good nights sleep, and you too, then you will find it easier to tackle, so worth maybe doing one night a week and keeping it at that. I am sure you have already cut anything stressful out of his life, and you have made sure that he is not being bullied by another child or adult, that could be causing this. Also don't let him watch any tv not aimed at kids - its incredible how stressed children can be by something insubstantial on the news. Sweet cartoons and Cbeebies only, no matter what his friends are allowed to watch. Also, keep a look out in case he might be dyslexic later in life ( you can test from age 8). We found out that my daughter was dyslexic when she was 10. Until then she had felt enormous subconscious mental stress and , and I think with hindsight that this caused her nighttime terrors. After the dyslexia diagnosis, we realised how subconsciously stressful school had been for her all those years. Things that made sense to other children, didn't to her, and though the teachers were nice and the kids were nice, she was stressed and never felt good enough, but couldn't verbalise it and wasn't even aware of it, but she secretly felt stupid all the time. Good Luck - there is no easy solution but try everything.