LJ's Chooks Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi everyone, My 2 yr old DS has started having terrible night terror episodes. My eldest boy suffered these too for a couple of yrs, but i dont remember them being this bad. Last night it lasted for over an hour, and i feel so helpless. I've previously been told to sit with them but not touch them, just keep them safe as they are not awake. I think this is impossible as all you want to do is cuddle them and stop what ever is happening to them. Is anyone else going through this at the mo... or have any advice please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Rosie went through that stage at around two years as well. I used to take her out of her bedroom, put al the lights on and hold her until she woke up, then gave her a warm drink and settled her again. It happens at that age and is linked to how their brain develops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 Thanks Claret.... I tried that last night as that worked for my OS, but not the little one, i couldnt wake him... I think i ended up as upset as him... Glad my Os slept through it though! I think I need cake.... got any good recipe's??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Cake is the best remedy for most upsets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fourbecameeight Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 My son also suffered with night terrors. I think they are worse for you because you feel so helpless and the child remembers nothing which is good. Thankfully they didn’t last long for my son but you have my sympathies. I am new to this but i will try and post a recipe for yoghurt cake in the all things nice section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi there, I feel for you, night terrors are awful. My kids never had them much, two of them went through isolated instances, rather than regular ones, though I have a nephew who got them a lot, especially when there was anything unusual in his routines, like guests at his house or he staying away from home. I know this is not going to help much, as it's very vague and general and there isn't much one can do during a night terror, but over time the advise I gathered was : - Keep reminding yourself that he is not hurting, and although he looks upset and terrified, he is not... it's much scarier and worse for you than it is for him. - If he likes to be held, that's fine, if not, sit nearby. Apparently it helps to keep talking, soothingly and gently, even if you mutter total nonsense, the idea being that the child is in a certain phase of sleep and that the talk might soothe them over to a calmer phase. It doesn't help instantly, but it at least stops the incident getting worse, and is actually soothing for you too, and makes you feel you're at least doing something. - If they occur regularly, or several nights in a row, try to see when they start, after how long once the child is asleep, and actually go and wake them up roughly 20 minutes before you expect it might start. Wake the child fully, take him to the bathroom or whatever, then settle him again. Easier said that done when the child is sleepy, but it should break the pattern that leads to the night terror sleep phase each night. - Don't even try to wake the child up. It usually doesn't work, and can lenghten the incident and make the child more agitated. - Obviously, staying around to make sure the child doesn't get hurt... but then no mother (or father) would just walk away from a child in that state, so that's a bit obvious. Officially it only lasts for 30 minutes or so, but my 3rd daughter had one that laster an hour and a half, at the end of which I was getting insane, and eventually drove to casualties, fearing I was wrong in diagnosing as a night terror and thinking she might be in terrible pain, she was only 18 months then. Of course, once we got to casualties, with my other daughters in their pijamas in the car, she had awaken and was fine, if a little hot and confused and unhappy to wake up in a hospital room with nurses checking her over. It was awful. Another thing is, always to remember to warn anyone who might look after the child. I was lucky to mention this to my mother once, and though she never looked after my girls, she then looked after my sister's daughter once and it happened, and mum called me the next day to say how grateful she was she'd heard about those things, cause she'd never heard of a night terror before, and said she'd have been in a total panic about what was happening. Being overtired is apparently a common trigger (which could explain my nephew's incidents when at relatives or when guests were around), and at young age this can be for several reasons, not always apparent (virus, cold, growth spurt and all that). I hope your little one grows out of them sooner than later... I understand wanting cake after that!! I used to think only a double whiskey would calm me down!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJo Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 My Eledest lad has these - when overtired (in my opinion, not his ). Usually wanders around the house and rambles on a bit, sometimes anxious and tearful - the other night I had to just really shout at him - he woke up and then went back to bed. Most times I do the quiet guiding back to bed and sit though - but on this occasion he was in danger of falling down the stairs . OH used to sleepwalk alot when little and I had night terrors, and sometimes went to sleep in the bath , luckily I never turned the taps on Hope you get some respite and he grows out of them soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Thanks everyone... we got through last night uneventfully, and he fell asleep in the car at 6!!! Fingers crossed for tonight.... looking forward to making yoghurt cake though, that sounds yummy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miffy Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I hope things improve soon for you both soon. YS had bad nightmares (not sure of the difference between nigtmares and night terrors) I would sit in his room and talk gently to him, on one occasion he called for mummy, and I just said I am here, he aked me to help him so I asked him where we were, he was trapped in a car underwater and couldnt open the doors nor windows, I asked if he could see me, he said yes. I told him to cover his face and turn away as I had a big stone to break the window, I broke the window and asked him to put his hand out of the window so I could pull him out, he extended his arm I held it and gave a gentle pull saying yes! yes! so he had no doubt he was getting out, then we swam to the top and had a hug. He settled down to sleep and I had a quiet cry. He remembererd the dream and me in the deam!! I also had to help him pick strawberries on another occasion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
