Night terrors
What are night terrors?
Night terrors are not the same as nightmares. Night terrors are more intense scary episodes which usually happen one to 2 hours after a child goes to sleep, when he or she is in the phase of non-dreaming, deep sleep.
Children having night terrors, as opposed to nightmares, suddenly and abruptly sit up in bed looking terrified and confused. They may scream or cry or appear to be in an agitated state. They may breathe heavily or sweat. Their pupils may be dilated (wide open) and they may get out of bed and move around in a distressed way. This may go on for 10 minutes or more. Although they appear bodily awake, they are not really properly awake and cannot respond to you and your settling as they normally would.
They may refuse to be comforted and may even push their parents away. However, after the night terror is over, the child may fall back to sleep quickly and peacefully, and in the morning won’t remember what happened.
Why do they occur?
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes these distressing events, but parents can be reassured that children who experience them usually have no particular emotional or psychological problem. Although they only occur in one to 5 per cent of children, doctors believe they are a normal yet infrequent part of the body’s transition between sleep states.
However, doctors suggest your child may be more likely to experience night terrors if he or she:
- is physically exhausted;
- has a fever;
- has been worried about something;
- has a family history of night terrors; or
- has recently experienced loss of sleep.
What can I do for my child?
Firstly, remember that he or she will probably grow out of night terrors. Your patience is of prime importance. Remember that children who are afraid at night need comfort and understanding. You can help by:
- making sure your home is safe (use toddler gates on staircases, and don’t let your child sleep in a bunk bed if he or she has experienced night terrors);
- not trying to wake your child during a night terror episode;
- staying with him or her until he or she goes back to sleep naturally;
- making sure he or she has regular amounts of restful sleep;
- making sure your child has a regular bedtime; and
- treating any fever that occurs.
If the night terrors have been happening around the same time at night, you could try partially waking your child about 10 or 15 minutes before this time. Try keeping him or her semi-awake for a few minutes and then let him or her drift back to sleep. This may help prevent further night terrors.
If your child ever hurts him or herself while sleeping, you should talk to your doctor.
Last Reviewed: 27 May 2009
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