Nightmares or Night Terrors?
It’s already a feat sometimes getting your children to bed…only to have them wake up in the middle of the night! Some of these instances can be hard on our fragile parenting hearts, too. Nightmares and night terrors are some of those occurrences. These often are so similar in appearance. Sometimes, it can be tricky to tell between these two and know what to do.
The first thing we want to stress before we get into those details is that a lot of times these occur more often when your child is stressed or has not gotten enough rest. Sleep hygiene is SO essential for your child’s growth, development, and well-being. Focus on making sure they are the rest they need.
How can you tell between nightmares and night terrors?
Nightmares are scary dreams that usually happen during the later part of the night. Your child may wake up crying or being scared and have difficulty going back to sleep.
What you can do for nightmares:
Go to your child and assure them they are okay and nothing will harm them
Ask them what happened
Explain that dreams are not real
Remove items from their surrounds that may scare them.
Use a night light
Once they are calm, try to get them to fall asleep again
Night terrors are sleep disruptions that occur most often in toddlers and preschoolers during the early part of the night (during what we call REM sleep). In these episodes, your child is actually not awake so will not remember it the next day. They tend to be short but can last as long as 45 minutes.
Your child may:
Cry
Sweat, shake, or breathe fast
Have a glassy eyed look or stare
Thrash, scream, or kick
Not recognize your presence
Try to push you way
What you can do for night terrors:
Often times these are terrifying for the parent, not the child - so stay calm
Don’t wake your child - just observe until they fall back asleep safely
Ensure your child cannot hurt themselves and gently restrain them
The good thing is that most children outgrow night terrors on their own! If you are worried about your child’s terrors, don’t hesitate to talk to your pediatrician - especially if night terrors become longer & more frequent, your child hurts themselves during an episode, or if they impact their daytime function.
If you are worried about your child’s sleep or feel your child struggles with sleep, try keeping a sleep diary for a few weeks. Take this to your pediatrician so they can get the full picture and guide on what may help!
Here’s what we look for in a sleep diary:
Where your child sleeps
How much sleep they get each night
Things they use to fall asleep - favorite stuffed animal?
How long do they take to fall asleep?
Nighttime routines
How often they wake up and when
Naps times and lengths
Recent stressors - changes at home or school
Remember, recent stressors like changes at school or at home can impact your child’s sleep as well, and bring on both nightmares and night terrors.
Try to create a stable home environment for your child so they can feel safe and loved, and get the rest they need.
Your PediPals