Night Terrors

Night terrors are a disturbance in sleep that involves yelling, screaming and/or crying. These terrors can be more frightening to the parent than the child. This is because the child is asleep through the whole ordeal and will not remember the episode the next morning. However, the parent witnesses the outburst and often becomes alarmed.

Night terrors differ from nightmares in that they are less common, occur in the deep sleep cycle, occur most often at ages 4 to 5, and usually stop by age 8.

If a night terror occurs:

  • Since the child is asleep do not try to wake the child up as this may prolong the night terror.
  • Stay with your child until they sleep more quietly to ensure that they do not hurt themselves.
  • Since night terrors occur with those children who are very tired make sure your child is getting enough sleep.
  • Try to remain calm, a child can sense your anxiety and that may make the situation worse.