How to Treat Night Terrors
Night terrors typically affect children between the ages of 3 and 12. They usually occur during the first 2 to 2 hours of sleep and can result in strange behavior accompanied by screaming. They last around 30 minutes. Attempts to comfort your child may be met with resistance. While night terrors can be scary for parents and children, they are not serious.
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Instructions
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Consult with your child's physician. Night terrors occasionally result from underlying psychological or physical issues, such as fatigue, psychological stress, fever or certain medications. Ruling out these underlying causes is the first step.
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Obtain treatment from a counselor or psychologist if your child's night terrors result from underlying psychological stress.
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Establish a regular bedtime routine to ensure that your child gets proper sleep. Night terrors often result from inadequate sleep.
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Wait out night terrors whenever possible. Most physicians advise that night terrors will not cause harm, and they do not recommend specific treatment.
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Gently restrain your child if he is thrashing too much and becomes a danger to himself or others. Talk to your child in a soft and relaxed voice. Guide your child back to bed once he is calm and accepts your assistance. If he resists, continues gently talking until he accompanies you. Don't shake your child awake or shout at him during a night terror. This could make things worse.
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Look for patterns in the timing of your child's night terrors. If you notice that the terrors occur regularly, say one hour after going to sleep, wake your child just before the hour arrives. This may interrupt the sleep cycle and offset the night terror.
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Use prescription sleeping medications, such as benzodiazapines, cautiously and only when night terrors are significantly interfering with your child's life.
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Tips & Warnings
Night terrors tend to run in families.
Night terrors are also referred to as sleep terrors or pavor nocturnus.
