What to do if your child has night terrors
Should you consult with a medical professional if your child has night terrors? We chat to a psychologist about how to handle them, as well as how to tell if it's just a nightmare.
Have you been awakened by your child’s loud scream to find them kicking or frantically waving their arms, or sitting upright in a state of panic or fear… but with their eyes shut? This could have been a night terror.
Night terrors fall into the parasomnia category of sleep disorders, which are unusual behaviours during sleep. Other parasomnias include teeth grinding, sleepwalking and bedwetting, and they can occur separately or simultaneously.
Know the difference between a night terror and a nightmare
While they may have similarities, nightmares and night terrors present differently, says Michelle Baker, a clinical psychologist with a special interest in sleep disorders.
Baker says that nightmares happen after the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep, later in the night or early morning. They can be described as flashbacks and may occur more frequently in times of distress or following stressful incidents. The occurrence of nightmares can reduce if the feelings of stress are managed and reduced.
Often, because nightmares end in the child waking up, it could result in undesirable sleep practises for your family (for instance, parents may transfer the child from their own bed to the parents’ bed for the rest of the night).
Night terrors are different because the child remains asleep. Other signs it could be a night terror are:
- They are most common from ages 1 to 12 (the onset is often as they become more aware and more verbal as the brain is developing)
- Intense screaming or crying
- Waving arms and/or kicking legs
- It happens in the first 90 minutes of sleep
- It’s over fairly quickly (can last for a few seconds, and up to five minutes)
- The child won’t remember it the next day
- They could be recurring
How to handle a night terror
Night terrors are more upsetting to the parents or to those who witness them than the child experiencing it. Your reaction is very important, says Baker. However distressing it may be seeing your child in that state, do not wake them up as this may frighten them. Remember, your child is oblivious to what is happening. Even touching or holding them should be avoided; simply ensure they are safe in bed and stay calm.
How to get a good night’s rest
The first step to sweet dreams is a bedtime routine that creates a calm, peaceful environment, and that lets your child know what to expect. You want to avoid over stimulating your child before bedtime, says Baker. Being overtired can also trigger night terrors.
Creating a ‘sleep zone’, as Baker calls it, might not put an immediate end to sleep disruptions but they will help promote peaceful sleep. Dim the lights; reduce the household chaos; play calming music (be mindful of the content they consume – genre, lyrics and tones).
When to see your paediatrician
If night terrors don’t cause any harm, there’s no need to consult an expert. Learn to understand what is happening, how to manage it as it happens, and create good sleep practises.
If frequent (and long-term) night terrors are causing heavy disruption to your day-to-day functioning or if your child hurts themself while experiencing them, you could consider it. Usually there would be a sleep expert and a paediatrician assessing the situation, and in extreme cases, a neurologist may be necessary, explains Baker.
She adds that night terrors are often seen in children with neuroatypical conditions such as autism, ADD and ADHD, and that often there is a genetic connection.
