Nightmares
Nightmares are basically very bad dreams. They occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which happens most often near the end of our sleep period. When children have a nightmare, they will seek comfort on waking up from their disturbing dream and recognize you upon seeing you. They are able to recall the nightmare, and for this reason it can take a long time for them to fall back to sleep and get the disturbed thoughts out of their little minds.
Nightmares are very common and are part of normal growth development. Their occurrence often peaks around 2- 3 years of age when children have wild imaginations and trouble distinguishing between reality and fantasy.
Night Terrors
Night terrors, can also be known as sleep terrors. Unlike nightmares where your little one wakes up and remembers the details, a child who has a night terror episode remains asleep. When a child is experiencing a night terror he/she may sit up and scream very loudly, whimper, thrash around or appear anxious and try to get away from “something”. The child is unlikely to recognize you when you approach (with them still asleep) and is often inconsolable. There may also be sweating or a racing heartbeat. Rest assured, these incidents are more upsetting for you as the parent than they are for the child, as children do not usually remember them the following morning.
Night terrors occur during deep sleep and usually occur in the first half of the night. They are not nightmares, a child experiencing a night terror is often more physical. The child can follow you out of the room or try and run away from you (similar to sleep walking). However, because they are also inconsolable, majority of the time when trying to hug or comfort them, this can often make the episode worse. These night terror episodes usually last between 5–20 minutes and then subside.
Your child is more likely to have night terrors if a family member has also experienced night terrors or sleep walking as a child. The most common cause of night terrors is sleep deprivation or extreme tiredness, or a disturbance in a child’s sleep patterns—like travelling on holiday within different time zones, moving house disrupting routines or a bedtime has suddenly become later. However, extreme physical activity and/or stress on the body like sickness or fever can also trigger an episode of this, as can sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome.
Tips to combat nightmares
So you have realised your child is having nightmares. If you want to help reduce the number of nightmares your little one has, then consider these tips:
- Check with your doctor or paediatrician to make sure your child is not on any medication that might be interfering with his or her night sleep.
- Avoid any disturbed scary movies, books and games before bed.
- Help your child get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation won’t necessarily cause nightmares, but can increase them. Make sure you know how much sleep is recommended for your child.
- Be cautious not to cause any extra drama to the event and make the situation worse. Children can pick up on how you respond and feed off it, so keep calm and don’t give it too much attention.
- Quickly reassuring your child and allowing them to go back to sleep can be the best recovery method.
Tips to handle night terrors
If you think that your child is experiencing night terrors, the most important thing is to ensure they are getting enough sleep. If you’re unsure how much sleep your child should be getting, check out my blog – when can babies sleep through the night?
I also have a few other tips:
- Make sure your child is physically safe during the night terror
- Monitor your child but avoid interfering, as this can worsen the episode
- Keep a regular sleep schedule and earlier bedtime for him or her
- Don’t mention the night terror with your child in the morning
- If you suspect any fevers, illness or sleep apnoea, contact your doctor
- If your child is having night terrors 2-3 times a week, and they always seem to occur around the same time each night (for example always 3 hours after going to bed), try the following:
- Keep a sleep log to track your child’s sleep.
- Wake up your child 10 minutes prior to the time he/she usually has an episode. Doing this every night for 7-10 nights in a row, while ensuring enough sleep, will most likely see the episodes reduce altogether.
It helps to clearly understand the difference between nightmares and night terrors with the treatment different for both causes. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you’ll be able to help your child more effectively.
If you would like support with your child’s sleep and to reduce the impact of night terrors or nightmares, please Contact Me for further advise. You’ll also find more sleep tips on my Facebook and Instagram page.
Happy Sleeping!
Stephanie x
