Does or has your child suffer from 'Night Terrors?' How do you deal with it?
By toe_ster
@toe_ster (770)
United States
May 25, 2007 10:48am CST
I never knew what night terrors were until I had my third son, who is a year old. He has had them earl on in his life. We didn't know what it was or how to deal. We just thought it was fussiness or just crying. It wasn't until we took a trip and while on the trip it happened. And when we got back it happened every other day for a week. I decided to look it up and after reading about it realized my oldest suffers from/with them too. How do you cope or deal with this? I felt so scared and helpless as I watched my 6 year old screaming in terror for me while staring right at me. It was heartbreaking. I think more so to see an older child go through it. My 1 year old just cries in terror. But my 6 year old can actually say things that he is feeling during them. It scares me.
2 people like this
4 responses
@latsmom (824)
•
25 May 07
My four year old had had nightmares in the past and I had been able to calm her down with a hug and reasurrance but a few weeks ago I woke to her screamng and ripping her room to bits, I did not know what on earth to do with her, she was screaming for me to help her and although I was standing right in front of her and talking to her it was as if she could not see me, she then started headbutting the floor and walls in frustration, in the end I had to physically restrain her until she had calmed down. I am not sure if this was the right thing to do but I think it was the best in teh circumstance as she could have really hurt herself. i came out of it with a few cuts and bruises from her fighting me but luckily she has not had one since, thank god.
1 person likes this
@toe_ster (770)
• United States
25 May 07
I know the feeling. My 1 year old has tried to fight to get away from us during his. We thought the best thing to do ( before we knew) was to try and wake him up, to snap out of it. But that didn't work it made it worse. And then we tried to soothe and reassure, but he would physically fight to get away from us.I think it is best too to try and restrain if they are causing harm to theirselves. I am glad she hasn't suffered anymore, and you too.
@sidoney (1033)
• Jamaica
25 May 07
come to think of it my little brother had those he would be running and screaming and ripping the door off to get away from what i don't know this one time it was marle season and he came running ripping the door saying that my uncle and aunt was fighting ob=ver a marble a big marble that was falling down on him and he was runnng away from it but he has not bee having those since he was around ten
1 person likes this
@senthil2k (1500)
• India
25 May 07
Night Terrors are common among the children. Even, its common among some of the adults too. Such type of terrors in children will get automatically cured when they grow up. Parent should sit with the child and explain him the fact about the thing the child is frightened of. Try to divert the child by showing something interested to the child. You can just switch on the TV, put on the walkman on the child's ears etc... This will reduce the fear of the children.
1 person likes this
@toe_ster (770)
• United States
27 May 07
I asjed my sonthe next morning and he could not remember a thing. I explained tohim what happened and what he was doing, and he was confused bacuase he couldn't remember a thing. He didn't watch anything scary or dao anything different that day either. I hope he grows out of it.
@courtlynne77 (4839)
• United States
11 Jun 07
My sister had these when she was little. She is 22 now and outgrew them, but they were really scay when they happened. My little brother was a sleepwalker which can also be frightening.
