How to Help a Child With Night Terrors
Night terrors differ from nightmares. A child who has the latter might wake up afraid, but a child who has the former might not be able to be awakened or comforted. He might also stare at you without recognizing you. Children who have night terrors often don't remember them in the morning, whereas children who have nightmares might remember them for years, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Night terrors usually occur within the first two hours of falling asleep and stop by the time the child is 12.
Instructions
Turn on the lights and soothe your child to help her return to normal sleep. Even though she won't wake up, having the lights on makes shadows less confusing and threatening. Repeat soothing words over and over, such as, "I'm here. You're safe." Only touch your child if she seems to want it, as your touch might frighten her more. Direct a sleepwalking child back to bed before he hurts himself. Shut his bedroom door and sit on the bed soothing him until he goes back to normal sleep. Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, giving your child at least eight hours of sleep. If he needs a nap during the day, let him take one. Preventing overtiredness is one way to prevent night terrors. Chart the night terrors over a few nights to determine how long after your child falls asleep they usually occur. Wake your child every 15 minutes during the night terror window and get her out of bed for five minutes. Repeat this routine until the first two hours after going to bed have passed. Enlist the help of a sleep center if your child's problems persist, are particularly distressing or if the child has been through a traumatic event. Tests in a sleep lab are the first step toward determining what's causing the problem and how to stop it.
