Many little ones struggle with night terrors, and it can really catch parents off guard! It can be heartbreaking not to know how to help them. Here are some tips for helping your child with night terrors.
What are night terrors?
Night terrors occur when the child is in non-REM sleep. This is when they are transitioning from a deep stage of sleep to a lighter stage. It can be stressful for parents to experience their child struggling with night terrors. While one in six children usually experience them, every child may react to them differently. Night terrors are often confused with nightmares. Your child may be having night terrors if they:
- Wake up abruptly at night, usually within three hours of sleep.
- Wake up sweaty, with a rapid heart rate and breathing heavily.
- Appear to be unresponsive when spoken to, even though their eyes are open.
- Thrash around aggressively.
- May start sleepwalking.
- Calm down and go back to sleep eventually.
- Have no memory of the episode of their night terror in the morning.
Night terrors usually peak in children between the ages of three to six years. While it is a scary and exhausting experience for the parents, it is usually not known to cause any long-term psychological problems to the child. Most kids grow out of it after some time. And there are ways for helping your child with night terrors.
What causes night terrors in toddlers?
- A change in the child’s bedtime routine. It can also occur if you are travelling, and the child is sleeping in an unfamiliar space.
- Lack of sleep and overtiredness is one of the major reasons why kids may experience night terrors.
- If the child is going through a stressful change in their life. A few examples of this can be starting a new school, changing houses, or a loss of a loved one.
- It can be a reaction to a new medicine such as a cold medication.
- A loud noise can startle the child and trigger the night terror.
- The consumption of too much caffeine can also trigger an episode of night terror in toddlers.
How can parents help their child cope with their night terror episodes?
- It is natural for parents to get stressed and feel helpless watching their child look frightened at night. However, the best thing parents can do for their child at that time is to remain calm and wait it out. It is best to not try to wake the child up during an episode of their night terror. Only intervene if the child’s safety is at risk. Usually, the kids settle down in a few minutes and go back to sleep.
- Parents can reduce the risk of their child hurting themselves when they are thrashing away during an episode of night terror by eliminating any sharp objects around the room, especially any clutter around the bed that they might trip over.
- Trying to find out if the child is stressed about anything would help finding the root cause of the night terrors. Is the child starting a new class? Is there a new baby coming in the house? Is a grandparent or loved one sick? Talking about their feelings would help them release their stress. Parents can then guide them how to cope with that stress or discomfort. Reading a book related to the issue, or watching a relevant video together would validate their feelings and make them feel secure.
- Keeping a track of all the times the child experiences night terrors can be helpful for parents in figuring out the trigger. Does it happen when the child has a little more screen time close to bedtime? Does the child experience night terrors more often when his bedtime is delayed? If there is a pattern of a particular time that the child wakes up, a parent can plan to wake the child a few minutes before that time and offer a glass of water. This usually interrupts the state of sleep in which the night terror occurs.
- White noise is known to help children sleep better. Having a white noise machine in the child’s bedroom throughout the night would prevent the child from getting startled with any sudden noise.
- Having a consistent and calm bedtime routine promotes a more peaceful sleep time for children. Dim lights, a warm bath, a comforting story, and some soft toys to cuddle the child, all play a role in calming their nervous system before the fall asleep.
If parents feel that the child is having prolonged episodes of night terrors, even after trying out everything, it is best to consult the child’s pediatrician. In some cases, doctors may advise medication. However, parents can take comfort in the fact that this phase too, shall pass.
For more sleep help, A Sleep Consultant’s Real Answers to Parents’ Top 10 Sleep Questions
