Night Terrors

[Lyndy]

My 5yr old son wakes sweating, crying, thrashing about while seemingly gazing into space usually about 2 hrs after he's gone to bed. I'm not sure if he's properly awake - there's not much conversation - and he never remembers in the morning so it seems it's distressing me more than him. Is it just a phase that he'll grow out of?

It certainly sounds like night terrors and you're right about it being more distressing for you than him. As far as I can see, children of all ages can get them - maybe adults too? It's best to be as uninvolved as possible, just waiting quietly until it ends. I've read that it's possible to break the trend by keeping a chart to monitor exactly when the terror begins. If it occurs at the same time each night you can wake him up just prior to when you would expect it to start, to alter the sleep cycle and hopefully prevent it. Good luck, hope he's over it soon.

Lyndy, definitely sounds like night terrors. My son went through a phase when he was 3, I think. He was having 4 or 5 a week, and very distressing for us, but - as you say - didn't seem to affect him at all. A friend suggested that sometimes overheating can set it off - I thought that was a barmy idea, but I tried dressing him more lightly, and giving him lighter bedclothes, and the night terrors stopped. It may have been just coincidence, but you might want to give it a go? Let us know how you get on.

My daughter had this at 2 1/2, for a few months. Homeopathic remedies helped alot, and someone recomended giving them something starchy just before bed. The theory being its hard to digest so the body is working on that rather than on the night terrors. We tried both at the same time so its hard to say which worked best, but both seemed to ease them alot. Good Luck

Lyndy, definitely night terrors. They usually happen in the first few hours of sleep, in deep non-dreaming sleep. It can be linked to a high temperature, or it can just be from a stressful, busy day. Is there anything worrying him during the day, or any sudden changes to his routine that you can think of?

They aren't that common, but it is usually at around ages 3 to 5 when they do happen. He isn't "suffering" and like you say, doesn't remember it the next day. He isn't actually awake when it happens so there's not much point comforting him or saying much. Don't try to wake him up, let it pass, stay close any only help if he asks for it. Stay calm, and don't mention it in front of him the next day unless he does. You could ask him if there is anything worrying him, though later in the day...

If he is having them frequently, (more than one a month), and he can't tell you what is upsetting him, it could be worth seeing your gp as there may be some deeper issues behind it. HTH.

According to Dr Richard Ferber, night terrors when young are not indicative of emotional problems. He says they have a physical cause; that of an incomplete change from one stage of sleep (sleep stage IV) to another less deep stage. He also says the name 'terror' is a misnomer, as the child is actually agitated, not terrified. He equates it with the feeling an adult might have when suddenly woken from a deep sleep, when you cannot work out where you are, feel apprehensive and foggy brained for a few seconds, until finally your mind clears. He says worries and emotional factors only come into play in middle childhood and adolescent ages. Hopefully age and maturity will see an end to the problem.

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My 4yr old dd often talks in her sleep this can often include shouts at her siblings or worse screams and thrashing. She rarely wakes herself although I usually do! Are these night terrors? Could it be diet related? I have asked her if she has scary dreams, she says yes but cannot realy tell me what happened.
Which homeopathic remedy is recommended

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