A Parent’s Guide To Night Terrors!

A night terror, also known as a sleep terror, is more intense & dramatic than a simple nightmare & occurs in only 3-6% of children. It is also important to note that after a nightmare a child usually awakes but a child isn’t usually woken up from a night terror. Although it appears traumatising, & can be very traumatic for parents who witness their child having a night terror, it actually is no cause of concern even from a medical point of view.

However, despite the above, the child usually calms down and returns back to sleep on their own after a few minutes or so. From a parent’s perspective, it is important to understand that during an episode your child isn’t awake as night terrors happen during the deepest stage of sleep i.e. the Non-REM or non-rapid eye movement phase & this is the reason that unlike after a nightmare, your child who after a typical night terror will not be able to recall the incident as if nothing had happened.

A night terror is due to the overarousal of the CNS or central nervous system during sleep. Unlike nightmares or dreams that happen during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, this usually occurs a couple of hours after the child falls asleep & is in the transition from deep non-REM to light REM sleep. Most of the time it happens without any reaction but sometimes you can see the child become upset, frightened hence it is known as a night terror.

It occurs mostly in kids aged between 3 & 12 years who are stressed, ill, overtired, on a new medication, sleeping in an unfamiliar environment, not getting the right amount of sleep, on caffeine or any other substance that interrupts with their sleep pattern. Sometimes sleep terrors can be inherited and if this is the case there is usually a family member who has had a similar type of sleep disturbance.

With time, the child grows out of night terrors as his/her nervous system matures.

What Can A Parent Do, To Help Their Child Who Has Night Terrors?

As mentioned, even though a night terror may appear very traumatising, it really is of no medical concern and a parent shouldn’t panic or be upset. As a parent, you need to be educated on the topic and need to understand that your child will be inconsolable during an episode and it is not your fault and you shouldn’t feel like you can’t do anything to comfort your child.

BE PATIENT, BE PRESENT & LET IT PASS! You just need to make sure your child doesn’t hurt himself/herself during an episode especially if he/she is thrashing around. It’s really a waiting game and eventually, your child will settle down and return to sleep on their own. Let the night terror pass on its own, remember your child is asleep and it is advisable to not wake him/her up during the episode as all you will do is more harm than good. Your child will end up waking up confused, disoriented and now having woken up will not be able to return to sleep quickly.

You need to make sure your child isn’t stressed during a stressful period such as the current COVID-19 lockdown situation. It is advisable that parents keep their talks with their kids positive at all times, talk to them and make sure they are okay as they are unable to interact with friends due to social distancing, one solution can be virtual playdates. Remember a child can also sense when the parent is upset, so if you as a parent need to turn to a counsellor during this period, do so as it is good to talk it out with a professional who can guide you and help you through your struggle.

It’s also important that your child has a normal bedtime routine no matter what and this lockdown should not be treated any differently. The whole point is to make your child feel nothing has changed and that everything is okay even if you find it hard to believe as an interruption in their routine can also be a trigger to night terrors. Make sure you tuck them in early and you can try to create a relaxing bedtime routine such as a warm bath or a bedtime story. Make sure your child gets the needed amount of sleep as sleep is a crucial part of growth and development. It’s also important to make sure your child isn’t overworked or overtired as this can also lead to stress and be a trigger for night terrors.

Also, make sure you keep your child away from caffeinated beverages and excessive sugar, anything that can interrupt with their sleep pattern keeping them awake till late.

If there is a pattern where your child has a night terror every night around the same time, with the advice of your paediatrician, you may try and wake him/her up about 15-30minutes before the episode happens to help prevent it. As mentioned, most of the time the child outgrows it and there is no cause of concern however if you feel it’s happening repeatedly or your child due to sleepwalking or thrashing around may injure him/herself or your child is suffering from daytime fatigue, then you can also turn to your paediatrician for advice and rarely but if need be a sleep specialist may be involved.