has anyone had personal experience with a child that had night terrors? Can you describe your experience to m

Question

this past week my son (he is 5) began waking up around 10pm. He calls out "Mommy" but when I go up there, he doesn't seem to know I am there. He is shaking and rubbing his eyes and sometime mumbling gibberish. Twice he tried to play with his hot wheels cars. When I try to hold him, he pulls away. His eyes are open yet he doesn't seem to realize what is going on. This has happened 6 out of 8 nights. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

Try www.nightterrors.org. It is a great resource for parents of children with night terrors. My son also had night terrors. We tried making sure he did not go to bed overstimulated or overtired. It also seemed to help if he did not have a very full stomach before bed. You can read up on this on that website which should be able to explain when the night terrors happen and list some suggestions. Good luck!

Answer 2

My son started having night terrors when he was about three. I'd hear him crying, and when I went in his room he would be lying stiff, arms by his side, crying out "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" over and over again, so upset, eyes wide open; but if I tried to talk to him or hold him it seemed like he didn't hear or see me. It's really scary. This would happen in one form or another every other week or so, usually if he didn't get his afternoon nap and was overtired in the evening. When we started to make sure he got a nap, the night terrors lessened. I'll never forget the time when he was 7... he sat straight up in bed, held his arms out toward the wall, and started yelling "mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy" hysterically, while I was sitting right there beside him. Every time I tried to hold him or touch him, he'd pull away from me, like you described.

Eventually, I learned that all you can do is talk to them softly, soothingly, often not getting a response at first. They are not really awake like they seem. If you can get you son to let you hold him gently, talk to him, be sure that he's safe, you'll see that in a few minutes he'll fall back into a true sleep - he'll relax, eyes close, and be calmly sleeping again. Try to see that he doesn't become overtired during the day - that helped my son, and it's recommeded in order to avoid night terrors. Don't try to wake him up, it may only make him scared. You remaining calm is important. You son won't even remember the terror - it's similar to sleepwalking, and it won't hurt him. Here is a link to a site that describes night terrors, and will help put your mind at east about them.

Answer 3

Been dealing with it with my son because that he changed into 6 months previous, he's now 5 years previous and it has gotten a lot less established even though it nevertheless takes position. He has a short REM cycle in accordance to his sleep study. I actually have study many analyze and some say that is proficient on by using pressure and a modern-day replace, some say that is led to by using previous existence thoughts that they are reliving of their sleep degree and yet others are asserting it should be led to by using a chemical imbalance in the mind. i comprehend with my son they began at 6 months previous and scared me then yet he has some episodes that are gentle and some that he has actually damage himself or me. i changed into advised now to not attempt to restrain him or carry him as this can do extra damage than reliable yet merely make certain he would not damage himself. he will take a seat up in the mattress and scream together with his eyes wide open yet he's not wakeful and he pulls hair and kicks and screams and yells for me even although i'm excellent beside him. it ought to correctly be scary although the Dr's have all advised me that because that they don't undergo in ideas what they were dreaming on the time it shouldn't impression him even as he wakesup...with that reported although my son is so drained the subsequent morning that it does impression his daylight hours hours to boot. He turns into extra aggressive the subsequent morning after a nasty evening terror and has a demanding time together with his interest span which impacts his time at preschool. The sleep study although couldn't make certain the reason except a short REM cycle. in case your son has them frequently i'd communicate over with the Dr about a nap come across the fashion to make certain in the journey that they could make certain a reason.

Answer 4

Yes, my daughter suffered from them when she was 6, and they lasted for about 1 month. She never remembered having them and still doesn't remember them.
I think her's were brought on by emotional trauma (my husband and I were considering a divorce and fighting a lot) Once the marriage was stable again, the night terrors went away. During the terrors, I just sat by her side, talked reassuringly to her and made sure she didn't hurt herself. Good luck with this.

Answer 5

my son is turning 4 and he did the same thing basically. What I would do is check his environment anything different? Is he developing the common fear of "monsters?"

The best thing for him, and i know this is so hard, but unless he is harming him or something else...let him go.
Waking a person in a middle state like that doesnt turn out better but worse. I have found just standing there and covering him back and watching what he acts out helps a lot.

Good Luck to you and your son.

Answer 6

My boy is now 7. But 1 particular episode when he is 4 stands out. For one month, almost every night he will have night terror. He seems awake but just keeps cryi g and screaming and most of the time just pointing at a particular spot and just scremed "Go Away, Go Away ! I have even tried exorcism, believed me. Even pray and fasting. Till i discovered by chance that there is a name "Night Terror". Casued by "unresolved conflicts". So you have to go back is there any major shift of family situations, conditions that might affect him. On the surface it looks okay, but internally, on the subconsious level they are trying to resolve what's going on and especially if they are unable to verbalize it it manifests at night in the form of night terror. My sons version of night terrors is colours. He says plenty of coulours trying to get him. And that is after days of coaxing him to talk. You might think what so scary about colours ? One day he saw my PC's windows screensavers, at that time they still have the flying window, and he said dad its just like that but much faster and bigger.

Answer 7

Hi
My daughter has night terrors she has had them since 2 months old she is 3 now I know how scary the whole screaming and hallucination thing is they can hear you but no they don't know who you are. my daughter starts to throw things and call for me but I'm right there. she has them almost every night the mind is awake but the body just moves they don't know where or who anyone is

Answer 8

Maybe he has seen something that has scared him. Limit his TV to PBS only for a while. Get him to bed earlier and no caffeine before bed. My daughter has had episodes like that and when I ask her about it in the morning she has no idea what I am talking about. I have turned on the lights, shook her, picked her up and it doesn't seem to stop. I think she is in a deep sleep. Maybe she is not getting enough sleep so we try to get her in bed earlier.

Answer 9

My daughter had this and it was horrible. Once it starts you will never get any sleep. Exactly as you described it is awful. Go get help immediately as it does not go away on its on. She and I suffered for years as this condition was not reconized when my daughter went through it and it lasted for years. It is heartbreaking and they are so pitiful. It breaks my heart to this day when I think of what she and I went through. She would wake in the middle of the night and I became sleep deprived. It was crazy. Please, please, I'm begging you, go get help. I understand there is treatment now for this as so many children have them. My heart goes out to you and your child.

Answer 10

my little sister had this..she used to kick the **** out of us..honestly! she would also walk arounnd the house and pretent to get a bath...one night we actually found her out in my moms car on the driveway..she walked out of the house int he middle of the night on to the road! your lucky he calls for you so that nothing like this happens....i would just in case use a baby monitor so you can hear when he wakes up..you may want to talk to the pediatrician...my sister eventually grew out of it...good luck