What to do about night terrors

Did you know?

The main difference between a night terror and a nightmare is that a night terror is not remembered by the child the next morning, but a nightmare is. Their eyes are open, they seem to be looking at you and they are screaming and thrashing around as though they are possessed. It is most likely a night terror and for parents it is a frightening thing to witness.

A "witness" is often all mums and dads can be because the professional advice says parents should not wake their children, but just be there to ensure they don't harm themselves.

"A child having a night terror can seem like they're awake but they're not," says Dr Honey Heussler, developmental paediatrician at Brisbane's Mater Children's Hospital. She adds that during a night terror, children can also be difficult to comfort because they may not be able to hear their parents.

What are night terrors?

Night terrors occur when children are partially aroused from deep sleep. They are neither awake nor asleep. During a terror their mind remains asleep, but the physical and emotional responses can seem as though they are awake.

Parents are usually alerted to their child's night terror by what is often termed a "bloodcurdling scream". The child will be inconsolable, will not recognise the parents and may even start running around the house.

To set your mind at ease about night terrors, remember:

• About five per cent of kids will have at least one night terror. However, if they have one, it is likely they will have more.
• It mainly affects kids aged three to 12, but can occur at any age.
• It occurs in the first half of the night, usually within 90 minutes after going to bed.
• Research has found it can run in the family.
• A night terror can last between 10 and 40 minutes.
• They can happen several nights in a row, then disappear.
• Up to three per cent of adults report experiencing night terrors.

Reassurance for parents

The five to 20 minutes during which a child will scream, thrash and even try to run around the house can seem like a frightening eternity to parents and Heussler agrees it can appear as though the child is having a horrible psychological meltdown.

"But parents shouldn't start blaming themselves or thinking that there's something wrong with their child," she says. "Night terrors are a normal part of childhood and not usually brought on by major emotional or psychological problems. Yes, they are very frightening for a parent to watch but your child will not remember them in the morning."

While each child is different, Heussler says normal issues such as being over-tired or dealing with changes such as moving house or starting school have been shown to bring on night terrors. She says some children are just more prone to them than others, but by about seven, most kids have grown out of them.

Parents are advised to seek further treatment if the night terrors are extremely frequent, severe, disruptive, dangerous or seriously impacting on a child's daytime performance caused by lack of sleep.

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