Night terrors

Does, it has, anyone’s kid suffered from night terrors?

Our 6 yo son has started having them for the past week. Nothing had changed in him, his routine or home/school life to cause them.

They’re pretty scary to witness, but also a little annoying as you can’t console him.

Thankfully he doesn’t remember them the next day!

Anyone got anything?

Likely some kind of demonic possession. Consult a priest urgently.

My daughter had them when she was little. As you say, pretty scary stuff. She would sit up in bed, eyes wide open, watching something in the room but she couldn't see me or her mum. She would be in utter terror. All we could do was hug her and tell her she was safe. Eventually she would come back to her senses and then, weirdly, she would always need a very long pee!! Made us wonder if there was any connection.

She never remembered a thing next morning either. She also had imaginary friends and sometimes heard voices too which was a bit spooky.

Out of my three kids she was the only one to go through it. We had about two years of it on and off but she eventually grew out of it luckily.

I know it is worrying and disturbing but just stick with it, it will pass, it is pretty common.

My daughter had them when she was little. As you say, pretty scary stuff. She would sit up in bed, eyes wide open, watching something in the room but she couldn't see me or her mum. She would be in utter terror. All we could do was hug her and tell her she was safe. Eventually she would come back to her senses and then, weirdly, she would always need a very long pee!! Made us wonder if there was any connection.

She never remembered a thing next morning either. She also had imaginary friends and sometimes heard voices too which was a bit spooky.

Out of my three kids she was the only one to go through it. We had about two years of it on and off but she eventually grew out of it luckily.

I know it is worrying and disturbing but just stick with it, it will pass, it is pretty common.

Hi

my young bloke just turned 11 last week, but between the ages of i reckon about 7-9 he had them on and off, agree 100% when you first encounter the night terror its such a "wtf moment" and his symptons were exactly the same. hearing voices , crying, screaming stuff out at other people who were seemingly talking to him.....

the good news is the kids do grow out of them and they do not suffer any long term effects/harm, and we can do things to try and limit them

these were the things that we were told to do/try and i reckon it does work.

Generally night terrors happen because the kids mind is really humming 100 miles an hour, chances are the reaction is something to do with something they have seen on tv or ipad or something so we were told to limit ipad usage say at least half an hour before going to bed.... it stops them thinking about stuff

night terrors tend to happen in the "deepest" part of their sleep cycle, so we usually found that if we put junior to bed about 7.30, then he would have one about 10 or 10.30, and then want to go for a pee!!

so we were told to wake him up just before we think it would happen to interrupt the sleep cycle and make him go for a pee, it seemed to work.

also, apparently when the child is going through the night terror you are not supposed to physically hug them or touch them nor speak to them , as all it does is prolong the terror... so the wife used to always tell me to p off out of the room....

anyway again i reckon it defineltey shortened the terror.

cant really do much else and can 100% confirm they do grow out of them.

good luck

I have had this 3 or 4 times in my adult life. Each time it has happened it has been when I am away from home and on my own. It genuinely feels like someone is laying on top of you and you freeze in fear....unable to move. Very scary...

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night terrors tend to happen in the "deepest" part of their sleep cycle, so we usually found that if we put junior to bed about 7.30, then he would have one about 10 or 10.30, and then want to go for a pee!!

so we were told to wake him up just before we think it would happen to interrupt the sleep cycle and make him go for a pee, it seemed to work.

 

also, apparently when the child is going through the night terror you are not supposed to physically hug them or touch them nor speak to them

This. Waking them at a time just before it usually happens breaks the sleep pattern. And it's hard but best just leave them alone.

I have had this 3 or 4 times in my adult life. Each time it has happened it has been when I am away from home and on my own. It genuinely feels like someone is laying on top of you and you freeze in fear....unable to move. Very scary...

 

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What you have described is sleep paralysis, and is a completely different phenomenon from night terrors in children.

My daughter (who turns 4 next month) has had it a few times but thankfully not too severely. As someone else mentioned, it's hard not being able to console her but she clams down eventually and never remembers in the morning.

Hans made the point above about limiting the amount a kid can use ipads etc.. before bed. We always make a habit of reading to her every night instead of letting her watch stuff on the tablet, because I've read some research about using backlit screens right before bed being really bad for your sleep cycle so I always avoid it myself.

What you have described is sleep paralysis, and is a completely different phenomenon from night terrors in children.

 

My daughter (who turns 4 next month) has had it a few times but thankfully not too severely. As someone else mentioned, it's hard not being able to console her but she clams down eventually and never remembers in the morning.

 

Hans made the point above about limiting the amount a kid can use ipads etc.. before bed. We always make a habit of reading to her every night instead of letting her watch stuff on the tablet, because I've read some research about using backlit screens right before bed being really bad for your sleep cycle so I always avoid it myself.

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What you have described is sleep paralysis, and is a completely different phenomenon from night terrors in children.

It is the origin of the word "night-mare" though... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_hag

I experience something similar every other Saturday at 3pm but it seems to subside after 5pm*

(*yes, I know this feeble attempt at humour would only work if Saints played regulary at 3pm on Saturdays but thought I'd give it a whirl anyway In all seriousness, good luck with your situation SO16_Saint. It does sound like one of those things that they'll grow out of over time, which isn't much help in the here-and-now unfortunately!)

I experience something similar every other Saturday at 3pm but it seems to subside after 5pm*

 

 

(*yes, I know this feeble attempt at humour would only work if Saints played regulary at 3pm on Saturdays but thought I'd give it a whirl anyway In all seriousness, good luck with your situation SO16_Saint. It does sound like one of those things that they'll grow out of over time, which isn't much help in the here-and-now unfortunately!)

I've had them during the past few months and its usually a repetitive voice going "bowled him" or "and Vince has edged another one behind".

Luckily, they seem to have stopped now.

Thanks all for the responses. It does match with what I’ve read on the internet so that’s reassuring.

The kids have a good routine, tea; play/homework; bath; story; bed - but will try to wake him up after about an hour or so and see how that works. My only thinking there is that it may just put the incident back an hour?

Worth a go though!