screaming and shouting in sleep

[Josiejump22]

My 3 year old son shouts in his sleep, probably 2 nights in 3. It starts as dreaming but can wake himself and carry on shouting. I've read to stop shouting I shouldn't give him attention. But he shares a room with his sister and we live in a small flat so he wakes everyone. I end up co sleeping as it calms him and gives everyone some sleep. He doesnt generally need anything and it starts as dreaming. Any one got any advice ?

Sounds like night terrors.

The advice we were given - and it was brilliant advice (DS1 had the worst night terrors a paediatrician had come across but we were told - wrongly - there was nothing to be done) was to not wake him or disrupt the night terror in any way unless DS1 was in physical danger.

Apparently night terrors occur when the sufferer's brain hasn't learnt to transition from deep sleep to light sleep. Waking them stops the brain learning how to make the transition. You have to give the sufferer's brain the time and space to learn.

DS1 hasn't had a night terror in years.

It will be a week or two of pain, but seriously it's worth it.

Regarding your DD, our consultant said that 90% of children sleep through fire alarms. If you don't go into their room to wake your DS there's a really good chance that he won't wake her.