Nightmares/Night Terrors

[Guest Posts]

What advice would you give parents in relation to children having nightmares or night terrors?

Regards,

Kristeen.

[Vicki Dawson]

Hi Kristeen,

People often get confused between nightmares and night terrors so the first piece of advice is to work out which your child is having.

Nightmares tend to happen in the second part of the night and are scary dreams. Children will wake up and will need comfort. It is about giving them lots of reassurance, nightmares can be really horrible. It is important not to buy into the nightmares. For example if the theme is monsters, don't go spraying 'monster spray' to keep them away or checking under beds for them as this can reinforce the idea that monsters exist.

Night terrors happen earlier in the night and the child may appear to be awake but is actually asleep. They can look terrified, their heart rate may increase, they may be sweaty and as a parent when you see them having a night terror it can be pretty - terrifying! As they are asleep you need to wait for it to pass, rather than waking them.

Getting a good bedtime routine can help and making sure that they aren't overly tired as there can be a link between night terrors and sleep deprivation. There can also be a link with temperature so make sure that they aren't too warm, check the room temperature is around 18 degrees, bedding is breathable and if you have plastic type waterproof sheets on then change them for less sweaty options.

If the night terrors are ongoing or severe you should seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

Hope that helps - Vicki