Is Your Child Afraid of the Dark?

Night terrors are very common. The most difficult part is finding the root cause of the terrors, however most kids eventually grow out of this frightening phase.

Finally, your baby is sleeping through the night. Or so you thought. Suddenly without warning a perfectly peaceful and blissful night of sleep is interrupted by terrified shrieks coming from the nursery. The shrieks which emanate from your baby’s room are so frightening, that springing from your bed, you find you are no longer sleepy and not the least bit groggy. You’ve just had the sleep scared out of you. While your heart is beating out of your chest, you snatch up your baby only to find she is still asleep. She is also still screaming, clearly frightened, by what you can not tell.

You have just experienced what is commonly known as ‘Night Terrors’. Though disconcerting, night terrors are not abnormal. They commonly occur in children between two and six years of age. However, children of any age may experience night terrors. The frightening occurrences usually subside by adolescence.

Night terrors are called by this name for good reason. As described above the event can be quite unsettling. Children often appear to be awake during the episode. Their eyes are often open though they are clearly not awake. They are panicky, sweaty, and most often screaming. The nightmare like symptoms may last anywhere from five to thirty minutes. Because it is enough to scare the parents to death, moms and dads, if ill prepared, react poorly. Shaking the child, and screaming for him to wake up, does not help. If anything it complicates the situation.

An understanding of night terrors will assist the parents in preparing for the scary event. First, understand that your child is safe. He is not having a seizure. What he is experiencing is normal for children his age. The only explanation is a simple one. Children who are overly tired experience night terrors, and are affected often within the first ninety minutes of sleep. There is no treatment except to do your best to establish good sleep habits/routines for your child.
Comfort your child as best you can. You may find that your child is inconsolable and you will just have to wait it out. Do not allow your child to wander, as it is possible that a child may sleep walk during the episode. Keep your child safe, staying with him until he is comfortably resting again. As quickly as it appeared, it will vanish. The child will return to deep sleep, having no remembrance of what took place in the morning. He will suffer no ill affects, except for possibly being a bit sleep deprived if the episode lasted for a long time.

If you fear your frightened child is experiencing something more than night terrors, ask his pediatrician to make an evaluation.