Night Terrors

Night Terrors occur in approximately 5% of children of pre-school & primary school age and while they are distressing at the time, they do not have any effect on development in later years and they are outgrown over time.

What do Night Terrors look like?

• Night Terrors usually occur during the first few hours of sleep but can happen more than once in the same night
• They are quite dramatic and alarming for parents as the first thing you may hear is a horrific scream
• A child is inconsolable during a Night Terror and may look quite terrified
• They will often throw themselves around, kicking their arms and legs as if fending off someone, or even get up & run around trying to escape from someone or something
• Their heart rate and respiratory rate will increase and they will be sweaty or clammy
• Their eyes will be open but they’re not awake, they won’t recognise or acknowledge your presence and will not remember the incidence in the morning
• A child is not able to be consoled or comforted during a night terror, it will generally pass on its own after about 5-10 minutes

Why do Night Terrors occur?

• There are no definitive answers but children who experience night terrors are thought to be stuck half way between awake & asleep
• Other family members may have experienced them
• There is no connection between night terrors & psychological or emotional issues. They may become worse if you child has something they are worried about, but not be caused by a particular issue. Night terrors occur in perfectly healthy children
• Illness or fever may also make the night terrors worse
• Overtiredness & unsettled sleep patterns can make night terrors worse

What can you do about Night Terrors?

• Regular sleep patterns & bedtime routines are important
• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep for his/her age to prevent overtiredness
• As tempting as it is to calm or console your child, this can make it worse. The best you can do is prevent them from hurting themselves
• This can be done by making sure your child can’t be injured on any objects during a night terror, so remove anything from their bedroom or hallways they could trip on. Make sure all doors & windows are locked
• It’s important to not make a big deal about it the next morning or during waking hours as your child could become anxious about going to bed and this may make the night terrors worse
• If your child is going to be out of his environment, for example staying at a friends or relatives without you it’s important to explain exactly what to do so his carers are prepared and not overwhelmed by the situation

• These occur mostly in the second half of the night when your child is in lighter sleep or the dream phase of their sleep
• A nightmare for a child is the same as it is for adults, they wake fully from it and remember whatever occurred in the dream
• They are able to be consoled & settled and usually put back to sleep easily