If you've never seen them before, watching your child in the grip of night terrors can be pretty frightening. She may yell, cry, thrash, or even run about wildly with her eyes open, and you probably won't be able to wake or soothe her. But don't be alarmed. These episodes are harmless in and of themselves, and your child won't even remember them the next day. The only physical risk is of the child injuring herself while moving around.

Night terrors (sometimes referred to as confusional arousal) generally occur in the first few hours of the night, during deep, nondream sleep. Technically, a child who's having them has partly awakened from deep sleep and is stuck between two sleep stages. Up to 15 percent of children experience night terrors at some point, usually between the ages of four and six years, although they aren't unheard-of in babies as young as nine months and may continue to occur sporadically until a child reaches adolescence.

A child who's having night terrors can't be calmed down. You may be very frustrated or frightened when repeated attempts to soothe your child have no effect. These episodes are not like nightmares; they're closer to sleep walking or sleep talking. It's not dangerous to wake your child, but you shouldn't attempt to, since it will probably just scare her more. If she's left her bed, you can try to guide her gently back to it, but she may push you away. It's best to stay nearby in order to make sure she doesn't hurt herself and wait till the episode ends of its own accord. Some experts recommend that you repeat something soothing, like, "You're all right. You're home in your own bed." Within 15 to 30 minutes she should calm down, curl up, and fall asleep again.

Children who go to bed agitated or overtired are likelier to suffer these sleep disturbances, so make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Lengthen her nap time, let her sleep a little later in the morning, or put her to bed earlier. And be sure to schedule plenty of time for calming bedtime rituals -- a bath, a song, or a book, plus lots of cuddling.

If your child is having night terrors regularly, you can try to prevent them by gently waking her up about 15 minutes before a typical episode would start (they tend to occur around the same time each night). Keep her awake and out of bed for five minutes. If you do this several nights in a row, you may be able to alter the child's sleep pattern and keep night terrors at bay.

Consult your pediatrician if your child starts having night terrors more than once a week, if she injures herself during a night terror, or if the episodes last longer than 30 minutes or occur during the second half of the night.

-- Kate Lee is a former associate editor at Consumer Health Interactive and researcher at Time Inc. Health. She is currently a senior editor at BabyCenter.

References

First published March 1, 1999
Last updated March 13, 2008
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

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