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Night Terrors!!
  • GarrettsmamaGarrettsmama
    Posts: 101Member
    Does anyone have any advice or helpful tips with night terrors. My son is 2 and started having them. I looked up signs and him waking up throughout the night screaming, inconsolable, crying, for half hour and then sleeping again. He seems awake but is not. I try to hold him and calm him down and he fights me, and crys more. I just dont know what to do to help. Any other moms been through this? HELP!
    I am your mother 1st, and your friend 2nd! I will always love you, but it is my responsibilty to make you a decent man for when you get older. You will thank me once your married, and will understand why I did the things I did while raising you!
  • meandmy243meandmy243
    Posts: 6,280Member
    Make sure hes in a safe bed that he cant fall out of.. talk queitly yo him but dont try to hold him down or to you unless hes harming himself or you could get a well placed head butt.. your kid will not remember these.. they are asleep.. my dss has these and he sleepwalks... we just direct him back to bed... its harder for you than him.. just make sure he stays safe.
    mom of wild children
    going to the chapel 7/5/2014
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,865Member
    Oh you poor thing. DS7 had them for several months. He woke up around the same time every single night, sat up & screamed for about 20 minutes & then laid back down & kept on sleeping. DS5 has them occasionally. His latest was about a week ago & lasted about 30 minutes but his are normally only about 5 minutes.

    The best thing to do is just make sure he doesn't get hurt & wait it out. Don't try to wake him up. I know that is hard but they normally won't wake up & if they do, they are more disoriented & confused. The other things are to reduce any stress & make sure he isn't overtired when he goes to bed. He should outgrow it quickly.
  • momofdbbmomofdbb
    Posts: 9,016Member
    Yea I don't have anymore to add ,just what they have said. DS had them it is just no fun !! he will grow out of then though ! 
    " Wibbly wobbly timey wimey ......." The Doctor
    " I'm a leafe on the wind..watch how I soar ." Wash :((
    " Oh the wall had it comming.' Sherlock Holmes
    yea I am geek !!
  • maycausedizziness
    Posts: 193Member
    My DD8 had them for 6 years, and hers were so bad we had to see a neurologist and she ended up taking medication at night.  She had them every single night she didn't have a nap, which after starting school was almost daily.  My DS4 has had them for about a year but his aren't as bad.  One thing I used to do is stay up and time when my DD would have them after she fell asleep, after I found the pattern (almost exactly two hours after falling asleep) I would then wake her up 10 minutes before her terror was "due.  It helped about half the time.  Also, I found if her feet were covered she tended to have them as well. I know how scary and frustrating they can be, just keep him safe and if you can try and get him to nap every day.  We were crazy about naps at our house, missing bday parties and afternoon functions just so she could nap, lots of people didn't understand but they also weren't up at nigh with our DD.  Good luck and feel free to PM if you have any questions!
  • GarrettsmamaGarrettsmama
    Posts: 101Member
    Thank you so much ladies. It has been hard and confusing. His dad had them but I have never delt with them. My son will sometimes wake up or moan and groan before but he was feeling discomfort with muscle spasms, and he produces too much acid sometimes, and it makes him sick so I was thinking it was that. After 3 days of them, and him waking up around 2 hrs 3 times per night I figured it out to be night terrors. I am glad he wont remember them since he sounds so miserable. That calms me down a bit. I will try to see the pattern, and he sleeps with me I even put pillows on the floor just in case he falls out of bed already. I pray he will outgrow it fast. He refuses to take naps during the day.. hes so busy but I guess I will start making him take naps. Thank you all again sooo much! Its so nice to know I am not alone!
    I am your mother 1st, and your friend 2nd! I will always love you, but it is my responsibilty to make you a decent man for when you get older. You will thank me once your married, and will understand why I did the things I did while raising you!
  • sunshinesammy2452
    Posts: 3Member
    My 4 yr old son has had them since he was a baby. Sometimes it seems like he is possessed with something. Screaming at the top of his lungs, thrashing & bending in weird positions. His eyes are always open. Very scary! Lately it's taken a different turn where he will actually get up & sleep walk. He seems to be telling someone or something to get away from him & he is more frightened than I've ever seen anyone of whatever this is. He screams for me & says he wants me to hold him but the strange thing is that I am holding him & he doesn't even realize it's me. Me trying to talk to him makes it really bad. A friend that used to have them told me to pick him up & take him to the bathroom when this happens so w/out speaking, I gently pick him up or steer him towards the potty. Once he goes, I put him back in the bed. Within a few min he does calm down so I do think this helps. He sleeps in the bed w/my husband & I just because I feel like it's unsafe to be in his own room. I know this has to change because he can't be in our bed forever. Make sure he always goes to the potty before napping or bedtime & trying making him go while it's happening. It may help.
  • organicbabyorganicbaby
    Posts: 1,457Member
    Dd 3sometimes has night terrors if she does not nap. I, obviosly, am very particular about her nap. Also, as @mommamobonz mentioned, they happen about 2 hours after falling sleep.
    When she has a night terror I find that turning on the light and singing to her and calling her name wakes her up. I have to hold her because she walks when she is having a night terror directly into the walls.
    Hope this helps you.
  • Monkeynmoo
    Posts: 1,425Guest
    @garrettsmama, don't try to wake him up. Ds had the same issues, still does from time to time, and his doctor said just sit and talk to him, if he freaks don't try to hold him and if he isn't being consoled by your talking then just leave the room. We do this and ds usually stops after we leave he stops and goes back to sleep. Good luck, I know it's sad when they go through this.
  • ImaDHImaDH
    Posts: 62Member
    Yeah my little brother had them until his teens, my 1st experience with them was when I took my kids and Lil bros. camping. 35 degree's and he screams agonizingly, possessed like for hours. Never remembered, I never forgot, that that fucker was gonna die. I think it's been covered, sleep where they can't be harmed by erratic spontaneous movements, and try and deal. I personally always had to lay at his door and just try to sleep but make sure he didnt get out the door, kept screaming and once he stopped to check that he was safe and breathing...not that it's needed I'm just a tweaker like that...

    Good luck, my bro is fine now, actually one of my better and most productive siblings. He also would bang his head against the wall or floor during these fits over and over again for 20-30 minutes sometime, HARD, and he's no dumber than me so there's light at the end of the tunnel.

    Good luck
  • sgrl2225
    Posts: 5Member
    I had night terrors as a child and still have nightmares as an adult. Unfortunatly all three of my children also have them. My dd6 is the worst right now, she wakes up screaming at the top of her lungs and runs around the house trying to find somewhere to use the bathroom. Ive found that singing to her and stroking her arm immediatly calms her down and she goes right back to sleep. We have a routine before bed where I sing to them every night so I think its a relaxing triger. Each one has been different though, I mostly just made sure that they were safe and then tried to just figure out what might relax them. I think its more terrifying for us to see them in what seems to be torment. Good Luck
  • GarrettsmamaGarrettsmama
    Posts: 101Member
    Thank you for the comments! Everyone is so supportive. I am trying to factor in naps now sine he has not taken naps since he was 1..and is almost 3. I am also making bedtime earlier since he would stay up later before. It has been scary and now that I think of it he has probably had some in the past it has just not been as noticable as now. Thank you I just hope it doesnt last too long. I am glad it is nothing huge, and normal for the most part..it has been scary and I was so worried but now with all the wonderful advice know what to do and not do..thank you again.:)
    I am your mother 1st, and your friend 2nd! I will always love you, but it is my responsibilty to make you a decent man for when you get older. You will thank me once your married, and will understand why I did the things I did while raising you!
  • BugsMomma
    Posts: 174Member
    My youngest brother (m) had these when he was around 8/9 when my other brother (j) was deployed to Iraq. And it's been only when j was deployed that m has these. Mom thought it might have been bc dad kept fox news on constantly and all the violence might have triggered it. She just held, rocked and hummed m until he calmed back down. Dd10mo had one I think a few months back and I followed the same routine as mom.
  • Redheadedstepmom
    Posts: 23Member
    My DD2 has them as well.  She tends to have them more when we go through big changes that stress her out.  Our daycare provider who had her since she was 3mo old, just moved out of state.  for the first 2 weeks at the new place she would have night terrors.  She does wake up from hers, and cries and cries.  I usually cuddle her back to sleep.  I also have night terrors, (still do when I am extremely stressed) and mine are a vivid dream fugue state.  Where I am caught between wake and sleep.  I usually wake up once my bed is stripped bc I see spiders most often, but sometimes it is a strange person at the foot of my bed, and I wake up crawling up my head board.  So I do for her what works for me, I let her go while she is in them, but once she wakes I get her out of her crib and snuggle her so she knows she is not alone.
    http://beingmommymyway.blogspot.com/
  • JustAConfusedMamaJustAConfusedMama
    Posts: 2,591Member
    My son just started doing this too..  It is scary.
  • CalliopemarieCalliopemarie
    Posts: 4,329Member
    dd3 will seem to wake up crying and crying and nothing comforts her. she doesn't want to be held either.
    i am insane!!! mwahahahaha
  • GarrettsmamaGarrettsmama
    Posts: 101Member
    Update: He has horrible leg spasms from growing (he is my shit brick house, very broad and muscle bound). I was giving him one chewable ibuprophen which worked, well he started doing these things at night which I thought were night terrors, well I checked his dose of ibuprophen and he was not getting enough, he now gets 2 and I am not having anymore issues! So I am thinking it is not night terrors but thought it was at the time. Thank you for all the advice, and I hope that all the other mommies and daddies going through this, that it gets better for all of you soon! I wish you all the best! :)
    I am your mother 1st, and your friend 2nd! I will always love you, but it is my responsibilty to make you a decent man for when you get older. You will thank me once your married, and will understand why I did the things I did while raising you!
  • Momofgirls
    Posts: 4Member
    My daughter (age 7) does this every time she gets overtired - it is terrifying.  She runs, screams at the top of her lungs, tries to get out doors, fights anyone that tries to touch her, you name it.  And then remembers none of it.  I agree with previous posters - keep him rested, don't let him hurt himself or you, and that 's about all you can do.  Hopefully he will outgrow it.  Best of luck!
  • mamafinmamafin
    Posts: 414Member
    My son has night terrors too. Started when he was 1. He's 2 now.


    The things that I've found helpful are:

    - making sure he sleeps enough during the day. If he's over tired, he'll most likely get night terror.
    - finding out the pattern as they usually come at the same time, about 1,5 hours after falling asleep and then gently waking him up before he gets it. This disturbes the sleeping cycles as terrors happen when "moving" from one cycle to another.
    - keeping the lighting dim as I think shadows make him freak out even more.
    - not holding him as this makes him panic.
    - saying the same thing all over again eg. "Mama's here, everythings fine."
    - taking him to our bed until he has calmed down so he can "fight" there and not hurt himself.
    - STAY CALM


    Yeah, it looks terrible, sound awful but they wont remember a thing. And you'll "get used to it".
    Finally figured out what's wrong with my brain:
    On the left side there's nothing right & on the right side there's nothing left.
  • considerthis
    Posts: 1Member

    Just wonder if anyone is still checking this topic.  I want to say that I started getting these as a young adult.  I would wake up screaming, was not supported by my family that I've lived with.  I would wake up with my clothes off.  Eventually, I was getting bits of flashbacks of inappropriate behavior happening to me and the same places where there was trauma in my life in my dreams, but still to this day because of living in the home of origin never quite remembering it all safely.  The terrorizing level of fear can affect all aspects of life.  While I'm not implying that this is an experience of anyone else, I'm wondering if any of these kids get awake and take off anything and wonder did they think they had to go to the bathroom but don't go.  I know as a parent and seeing my child go through it, I'm very scared of what may have happened to her.  I like the idea of trying to get her to nap, but the school she goes to gets her home from the bus very late.  Do any of these kids also have time shortages as far as getting their necessary energy out and the school has them sitting for too many hours?  Because it feels like the kids are awake and yelling at the overburdened, do everything single parents, and the parents can get frustrated if they are not supposed to make noise in someone else's home and feel like they are yelled at, wasting time with the child asking them what do you want me to do almost feels natural just like telling them to stop or asking what do you want.  And then the parents feel bad.  Anyway, I'd appreciate any feedback from parents whose children went to undress.  Also, even if they don't have a urine accident or need to urinate, the training might make them head over to the bathroom without even trying.  She doesn't thrash in weird positions but is crying.  She has nightmares besides night terrors depending on how deep the fear is controlling.  Wish I could have the income to get us out.  I really am grateful for shared experiences and to finally connect with some support.

  • TheHeadacheslayer
    Posts: 2,775Member
    My DD used to have night terrors after she had a bad illness. Just make sure they don't hurt themselves, they will eventually stop. It's scarier for us than it is for them--my daughter never remembered them but I would go back to bed shaking.

    They often run in the family (my sisters both were sleepwalkers). If it's becoming more frequent talk to your pediatrician.
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