Toddler & Night Terrors

Ursula - Our daughter (bio) has had night terrors since she was a toddler. she is now almost 8. At times, it becomes very infrequent (maybe one every 6 months), then they may become more frequent (almost every night). We have been studying this and trying a lot of things. What we've found is that waking about 15 minutes before we think the night terror will occur works pretty well. You need to get timing on this as if you're too late or too early, it doesn't work. Take note for a few nights when the first terror starts. If its really a night terror it will begin between 45 min to about 2 hours after she goes to bed. If its the middle of the night and she has not been awakened, then its generally thought to be nightmares. Being overly tired is a biggie too. Trying to put her to bed earlier may help a lot. Or, forcing her to nap during the day. They really start up when our daughter is overly tired. If you do the waking method for about 8-10 days, then try going a night without doing it. You may have broken the cycle and she'll stop for awhile. But, honestly, she may not. Many doctors will say to try valium (very low dose) as this messes with their sleep patterns and generally works. We have decided not to try this method unless we get desperate. The biggest concern with night terrors, I think, is its hard on the parents! The kids, thank God, don't remember them. But, you worry what they might do to themselves. We've also found that if we stay nearby and catch her in the very beginning of the night terror that we can keep her calmer and the night terror generally is not as severe. We can also keep her in bed more that way. I totally understand what you're going through and really feel for you. It can be very stressful on the parents and on your marriage. You're welcome to PM me if you want to share more info. Best of luck and I hope you find restful nights in your future. LSMOM