Handling Night Terrors in Children
Up to 7% of children can become affected by night terrors during their life. Often mistaken for nightmares; night terrors (also referred to as sleep terrors) are known to present differing symptoms. So, what are they, who can be affected, is there a cause and how can you help your child if they’re suffering from night terrors?
We’re here to help answer those questions! Along with information, advice and useful resources – our guide will give you the tools to manage night terrors and improve your child’s sleep health.
What are Night Terrors?
Not to be mistaken for nightmares; night terrors (or sleep terrors), are a type of parasomnia – an umbrella term used for unique behaviours experienced during differing stages of sleep. Usually occurring within the first 4 hours of sleep, during the NREM stage (non-rapid eye movement stage), a child experiencing night terrors will show signs of disturbance while remaining asleep and rarely retaining memory of the events. Night terrors can be presented in varying forms, but recognising the common signs is the first step to understanding what they are!
Common Symptoms of Night Terrors in Children:
Show visible or audible signs of panic and fear
Screaming, yelling or vocal disturbance
Aggression
Kicking or lashing out
Rapid breathing
Increased heart rate
Sweating excessively
Muscles tensing
Sitting up, getting out of bed or sleepwalking
Open eyes, but unresponsive
Waking confused
No memory of the night terror
Happens in the first few hours of sleep
Usually last for up to 15 minutes (times can vary)
Can occur more than once in any one night
It’s understandably distressing to witness a child experiencing night terrors, however, they’re usually completely unaware of what is happening and will eventually fall back to sleep.
If your child has shown these common signs, it isn’t usually a cause for concern and most often resolves on its own, however, we would recommend speaking to your doctor or healthcare professional if you’re worried for your child’s safety.
Who Can Be Affected by Night Terrors?
Night terrors can affect people of any age, but most commonly begin between the ages of 4 and 12, according to the Sleep Foundation. Although they’re more common in younger children, the signs of night terrors remain the same for all age groups. The frequency of episodes can also greatly vary, with some children only ever experiencing them once and others having more regular episodes. Night terrors are generally known to resolve themselves over time, with most cases subsiding before or during adolescence.
It has been suggested that children are more likely to suffer from night terrors if a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, has a family history of parasomnia. They’re also more commonly found in people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions, as well as other prediagnosed sleep disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea.
Night Terrors vs Nightmares - What’s the Difference?
Although they share similarities, night terrors differ symptomatically from nightmares. To outline the key differences, we’ve put together a comparison so you can better understand if your child is experiencing night terrors or nightmares. If you suspect your child is having a Night Terror – look out for physical and audible behaviours and refer to our symptoms list above for more guidance!
Night Terrors | Nightmares | |
Age Range | More common in younger children | Can occur at any age |
Symptoms | Visibly and audibly panicked and afraid, physically aggressive, rapid breathing and heart rate, excessive sweating, look awake but are unresponsive, have no memory of events and feelings of confusion when awake | Not usually physical or vocal behaviours. Wake suddenly, distressed, crying, rapid heart rate, sweating, usually a clear memory of events |
Time | Occurs earlier during the NREM stage of sleep (within the first 4 hours) | Occur during the later REM stage of sleep (deep sleep) |
Going Back to Sleep | Fall back to sleep easily due to no memory of events | Usually show a reluctance to go back to sleep |
How to Help | Watch over, but do not disturb your child (unless they’re posing a risk), and wait for their night terror to pass naturally. Ensure they’re in a safe sleep environment and won’t cause harm to themselves and others | Comfort your child and provide reassurance. Talk through their nightmare and help with any questions they have. |
What Can Cause Night Terrors?
If you’ve ruled out a family history of parasomnia, it can be difficult to pinpoint what might be causing night terrors, however, we’ve put together a list of possible triggers to help find a solution.
Fever, illness or medical conditions
Medications or antidepressants
Tiredness and fatigue
Sleep deprivation
Sudden reasons to wake – such as loud noises or a full bladder
Stress, anxiety, emotional distress and worry
Migraines or headaches
Although the cause of Night Terrors isn’t fully understood and further research is still needed, this list can help get to the bottom of other potential conditions or problems. Speak to your youngster and determine if they have any other ailments and seek help from a health care professional if you’re concerned night terrors might be highlighting an underlying condition.
How to Help Children with Night Terrors
Keep a Sleep Diary
Thankfully, there are a few things you can try to prevent continued night terrors. Firstly we’d recommend keeping a sleep diary, making a note of what they did in the day, before bed, the time of their episode, the duration and your child’s behaviours. Not only will this help reveal potential patterns, but you’ll also have a record you can share with specialists if needed! When recording observations, try not to wake your child as this can make their episode worse, last longer, and cause confusion and aggression.
Try Sleep Wakening
If you’ve determined a pattern, you can then try scheduled wakening. As an example, if your youngster seems to have night terrors at 12am each night, try waking them 15 minutes before they would usually have an episode. Research has shown this can reduce or even eliminate night terrors.
Safe and Comfortable Sleep Space
Ensure their sleep space is safe and comfortable! Due to the physical behaviours associated with night terrors – we’d recommend avoiding bunk beds, high-sleepers, mid-sleepers, raised beds and designs with ladders or steps – to prevent injuries. A design like the Nora Kids Solid Wood Teepee Floor Bed – with little to no floor clearance – prevents bumps and tumbles during a sleep terror. Pair with a comfortable and supportive mattress and you’ll also be promoting a better and more restful sleep to avoid fatigue. As sleepwalking is a possible behaviour, it’s also good to ensure windows and doors are secure and any hazards are removed from their immediate environment.
Relaxation and Sleep Habits
To reduce stress and promote relaxation, try changing up your child’s bedtime routine and enjoying a soothing activity before sleep. Not only will this help prevent a possible night terror, but it will also encourage a deeper and restorative night’s rest and help with fatigue. We’d recommend heading to bed earlier, listening to relaxing music, having a bath, reading a story or meditating. It’s also best to go screen-free at least one hour before bedtime, avoiding caffeine, eating late at night and excitable activities before sleep.
Stress and Anxiety
If you think stress and anxiety might be behind your child’s sleep terrors, try talking through possible solutions to combat these feelings. Have they recently lost a loved one? Could they be anxious about an exam? Have they fallen out with a friend? Start a discussion about how they’re feeling and see if it’s something you can help with. Creating a safe and reassuring environment for your child to open up and talk through problems will help prevent and reduce possible night terrors.
If you’ve ever witnessed a night terror it can be a traumatic experience, however, it’s reassuring to know children usually don’t remember them happening, they aren’t harmful and are proven to naturally stop over time. Night Terrors can occasionally be a sign of a health condition, so it’s always best to speak to a doctor to rule out any underlying problems. And there are a few things you can try at home to combat recurring episodes!
If you suspect your child may be presenting symptoms and their daily life has become affected, we’d always advise speaking to a sleep specialist or healthcare professional for further help and advice.
Resources and further reading:
4 Stages of Sleep: NREM, REM, and the Sleep Cycle (verywellhealth.com)
Night terrors and nightmares – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Night Terrors | Sleep Foundation
Parasomnias: Types, Symptoms, & Causes | Sleep Foundation
What Are Night Terrors? (verywellmind.com)
Behavioural and Cognitive-Behavioural Treatments of Parasomnias (hindawi.com)
Night Terrors – The Sleep Charity
We’re here to help! If you’d like any further help and advice, call us on +44 (0) 1305 231231 or email customerservice@cuckooland.com
