HEALTH TIME
NIGHT TERRORS
One minute your child is sleeping like an angel, the next she’s
screaming and thrashing about in seeming panic. Night terrors can be
scary for you, but they don’t hurt or scare your child.
What is a night terror?
A night terror is when your child suddenly becomes very agitated while
in a state of deep sleep. She may sit or stand up, shake, move about,
and cry or scream loudly. Your child may look like she is in extreme
panic.
During a night terror, your child’s eyes may be open – but
despite all the activity and movement, she is in fact still in a state
of deep sleep. A child having a night terror is inconsolable and will
not respond to attempts to soothe or comfort her. A night terror can
last from a few minutes up to 40 minutes.
Night terrors are less common than nightmares – only around 1-6%
of children will experience night terrors. Generally they are seen in
children more than 18 months old and should disappear by six years of
age. Night terrors can run in families, suggesting that there is a genetic
component to whether children will experience them.
Night terrors seem scary to you but they don’t hurt or scare your
child. Children do not remember the event in the morning, and are not
conscious of having had a bad dream or a fright. If wakened during a
night terror, they will typically be confused and disorientated.
You do not need to be concerned about night terrors. They do not mean
there is anything wrong with your child. Night terrors are natural events
associated with the normal development of sleep in children. They disappear
as children develop more mature forms of deep sleep.
Night terrors are different from nightmares. Night terrors happen during
the first few hours of sleep when your child is sleeping very deeply
(nightmares tend to happen in the second half of the night during phases
of REM sleep). Managing nightmares is quite different because children
have woken and might remember and feel upset by the dream.
What to do
The good news is that night terrors will not harm your child.
Avoid waking her during a night terror. She will only be confused and
disorientated, and may take longer to settle.
Instead, wait for her thrashing around to subside. Guide her back to
bed, and tuck her back in. She will settle back to sleep quickly. If
you think she might hurt herself, stay close to guide her away from
hitting or bumping into the sides of her cot or other obstacles.
When to get help
If you remain concerned, or the night terrors seem prolonged or violent,
seek professional advice. If night terrors are occurring along with
other sleeping difficulties, or breathing problems such as snoring,
your child may also benefit from an ear, nose and throat assessment.
(Red.: We thank Raising
Children Network for use of this article.)
mamizeits Dr. Marianne
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