How to Manage a Child's Night Terrors
Your child wakes up screaming and doesn't recognize you. She runs for the door and can't seem to understand how to open it. It can be terrifying, frustrating and repetitive, but night terrors are a frequent and normal occurrence for children under six years old.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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1
Recognize that your child is not truly awake. Though his eyes may be open, he isn't fully aware of his surroundings. He is still in a semi-aroused dream state and isn't processing the perspective his eyes are giving him.
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2
Don't try to wake her. It can be confusing and frightening for a child with night terrors to be awoken. She will typically have absolutely no memory of the event the next morning.
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3
Focus on keeping her safe. Remove any sharp objects from her room and make sure there's a gate on any staircases.
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4
Avoid touching or talking to your child. Some children respond to a repetitive assurance that he is safe, but most children are in too deep a dream-like state to have any touch or words comfort them. Talking to him or touching him may only increase his panicked state.
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5
Take her to the potty. Most children are awakened by a need to go to the bathroom, yet can't wake enough to actually complete the process. Guide her to the potty and help her sit down and go. She'll likely return to a slumbering state soon after and you can walk her back to bed.
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6
Press a wet washcloth to his neck or feet. Some theorists suggest that children who are overheated are more likely to have night terrors. Using a wet washcloth can awake them enough to stop the cycle of panic and send them back to sleep.
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7
Check her sleep. If she's been awakening with night terrors between one and four hours after being put to bed, it's not just a nightmare. But you can disrupt the pattern by awakening her just before you've observed she's typically awakened. This stops the cycle and can reset the sleeper. Do this for seven days and expect that the pattern of night terrors may be gone for a while.
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8
Check with your pediatrician if your child is over six. Adenoids and tonsillitis may be causing sleep apnea, another theoretical cause of night terrors.
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