Night Terrors in Children and a Guide on How Parents Can Help

Night terrors are a very scary thing for the children who have them and can be for the parents as well. When a child is having a night terror they will usually only partially wake up and are very upset. Some will actually seem like they are having a panic attack. They make be screaming, kicking, mumbling, and even sleep walking. Most people will not have night terrors after the age of 12 as they will outgrow them.

There are many characteristics of night terrors to help you identify that is actually what is taking place. The child is usually very frightened but not able to completely wake up. There eyes are usually wide open even though they are not awake and their pupils may be dilated more than normal. Object and things in his or her bedroom may be very scary to them while having a night terror episode. An episode can last up to 30 minutes and the child usually does not remember anything about it the next morning.

There are several very important steps to take when you realize your child is having a night terror. First of all make sure they are not going to harm their selves. If they are sleepwalking they could get their selves into dangerous situations without even knowing, so safety is the first and foremost thing. Do not try and wake the child completely due to the fact that it can send them into a state of shock. Try and help them return to normal sleep without waking them up. If your child is going to be staying overnight somewhere else, make sure that the adult knows that your child could have an episode and prepare them for it. Also make sure that your child gets plenty of rest because night terrors can be brought on by over tiredness.

There is a way to possibly break the night terror cycle. Most children who have night terrors usually have them at around the same time every night. Time your child from the time they fall asleep to the time the episode starts for several nights in a row. Then begin waking your child up about 15 minutes before their night terrors usually begin. Do this for 7 nights and many times this help break the cycle and they will stop having them. If the night terrors return, then repeat the above steps.

Night terrors are common and are not something to be too concerned about unless the child starts doing thinks such as drooling, jerking or stiffening up. If the night terrors begin to affect their everyday life due to sleeplessness you may consider seeing a doctor to see if they can help in any way. Make sure that if you are concerned with your child having night terrors to see a doctor!