Night Terrors?

[MadameOvary]

DD (2)has never slept through - I am used to this. She is better than she was but always wakes upset. Only fairly recently realised she isnt actually awake. She moves around a bit and moans to herself but it's when she sits up that I know I have to help as she is past self-settling by then. Is this a night terror?

She has been like this since a tiny baby. She recently went into her own bed but getting her in beside me always calms her down - she sticks her hand down my top in her sleep to find this little skin tag just above my left boob.

Anyone else's DC get upset while still asleep???

DD has night terrors. Usually when over tired or over stimulated (party etc). She cries and screams and roles around her bed, cannot wake her so just try to hold her while she trashes. Then when she does eventually come round she sobs and I have to get her back into bed and she conks out
immediately, sometimes only to repeat again another half an hour later. At best she does it once a week/month and at very worse can scream 4/6 times a night.

Have never managed to stop it but can now predict better when she we first arrive on a holiday or has been to a busy party (like today!!) she crashed at 8 which was an hour later than usual and I expect her back up by 11pm.

Thanks BBF, sounds like the same sort of thing.

I think its more upsetting for us than them as they do not wake with any memory from what I have been told. Night Terrors are very different from Nightmares. With a NM they wake fully and can tell you about what scared then, with NTs they don't really ever wake.

As predicted DD was all over the shop last night, cry out and generally being upset, went in 3 or 4 times but she was never actually awake. I just patted her back until she quietened down. Gave up at 4am, figured if she was that upset she would carry on past the initial cry, shout, cry. I am shattered today and she is back in bed now snoozing.

Watch out for overtiredness, a key trigger. Unfortunately its a vicious circle as NTs can make them so tired and you just go round and round Ad infinitum. Some people say to track the NTs and wake them half an hour before they usually happen. With us its anytime from 11pm to around 4am. I would rather just let her sleep, they always go after 4-7 days. Another time she gets them is prior to being poorly, I can predict and ear infection/temperature etc a mile away just by the regularity of NTs.

They are exhausting (for us parents) but do get better and come in waves. DD can go for months with a bad night then we might have two weeks of broken nights.

Oh, an apparently its because they are 'creative' children. Lots of wild imaginary thoughts flying around in their little heads!

That is fascinating, thank you!
I will watch out for the overtiredness too