No Comments January 27, 2008 – 8:13 am

Nobody wants to see a small child experience extreme fear. When a child bolts upright in his bed, eyes wide open and screaming wildly, parents typically (and understandably) panic. Thousands of children suffer from night terrors which usually last from ten to thirty minutes and cause sweating, fast breathing and a rapid heart rate. The child’s pupils may look larger than normal when a night terror is occurring.

Between one and six percent of children experience night terrors at some point in their childhood. It may seem like a child having a night terror is awake, but they are not. Children experiencing night terrors will appear extremely confused and will not recognize their parents nor be able to receive comfort from them. Instead of trying to wake up a child experiencing a night terror, it is usually better to just make sure he is safe, comfort him if you can and help him return to sleep once it is over. Fortunately, children rarely remember having a night terror so the episodes do not affect their ability to function during the day.

Night terrors typically occur during the first two to four hours of sleep. They are sometimes confused with nightmares, but unlike night terrors, a child having a nightmare is usually easy to wake up and will willingly accept comfort and reassurance from parents. Unlike night terrors, children usually remember having nightmares.
Children typically outgrow night terrors so no treatment is needed in most cases. Many doctors believe that night terrors are more common in children who are overtired so maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and making sure your child is getting sufficient rest may help prevent them. Late bedtimes, which can trigger night terrors, should be avoided. And, if your child needs to be awakened in the morning, an earlier bedtime should be established. Contact your child’s physician if he/she experiences any drooling, jerking or stiffening or if episodes last longer than 30 minutes or occur in the second half of the night.

For children who get frequent night terrors, it might help to gently wake your child before the time that he usually has a night terror. If your child experiences frequent night terrors your pediatrician may prescribe mild sleep medications to help prevent terrors. Sleep medications are not recommended for long-term use in small children.