To sum it up DS, I have a child and have never heard of night terrors, but then again my girl is now 15. I think, and mind you people this is JMO, many doctors come up with "terms" to diagnose things. Just go with your instincts. You know your kids better than anyone.
Night Terrors?
- Thread starter PA Baker
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Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
Sushi, read PA Baker's description of what is happening to Sofie and my description of what mine are like--No it is not just bad dreams.-DEADLY SUSHI- said:I dont have kids. I have heard night terrors mentioned before. Are these not just bad dreams? Can you just wake them up and give them a stuffed animal? Im at a loss here.
Barbara
OP
OP
PA Baker
Master Chef
amber said:
Sush, Amber's link has a good little chart that explains the difference between nightmares and terrors. Like Barbara said, there's really no similarity between the two.
Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
The chart was really interesting. Apparently children's and adults' night terrors are similar in some ways but different in one big way. The chart says that children remember nightmares but do not remember night terrors. I remember them very vividly. Later I can look back and laugh at them, but at the time they are no laughing matter! That article and chart lead people to believe that only children have night terrors. I know this not to be true, but I guess they are rare in adults. Maybe I never really grew up?!! I don't know if this is related in any way, but I also was a pretty big sleepwalker when I was a kid. That stopped when I was around 14 or 15.
Barbara
I don't know if this is related in any way, but I also was a pretty big sleepwalker when I was a kid. That stopped when I was around 14 or 15. Barbara
amber, night terrors have always been around. Its just that the world is shrinking and we have information on more than we used to now. You are very lucky that your kids never experienced them. Its not all that common, but it is pretty darned freaky to deal with. It is absolutely nothing like a baby just waking up in the night.
Imagine that scream of absolute terror your child gives when they are truly scared, then imagine it happening in the middle of the night. Add to that a race to the childs bed to find them wide eyed, but not aware of you, still screaming and fighting something you can't see. Or possibly even having them flail at you when you try to reach them to comfort them. Its very disconcerting, and unless you have experienced it, its sort of hard to understand.
PA, any progress with Sofie?
Imagine that scream of absolute terror your child gives when they are truly scared, then imagine it happening in the middle of the night. Add to that a race to the childs bed to find them wide eyed, but not aware of you, still screaming and fighting something you can't see. Or possibly even having them flail at you when you try to reach them to comfort them. Its very disconcerting, and unless you have experienced it, its sort of hard to understand.
PA, any progress with Sofie?
Claire
Master Chef
I tried to skim over all the replies, but there are a lot. So excuse me if I'm repeating some one else. The last time I went to an ENT specialist, he looked in my ears, stepped back and asked, "Lots of night mares as a child, huh?" Yup. In many ear specialists' an pediatricians' opinions, I've since learned, chronic ear problems can really add to this problem. Thank heaven, most of us grow out of it, and there really isn't much long term repercussion -- except a doctor can see the scarring on the ear. Yes, it is heart-breaking. I'm over 50 and still have quite vivid nightmares at times, but that comes from reading too much!
For children who think there are monsters in the room, a friend used to put something that smelled into a spray bottle with water (find something the child like the scent of, anything from a flowery perfume to clove oil). Call it anti-monster spray. When the child awakes, spray in the closet and under the bed and at the window blinds and curtains. Don't do it before the child goes to bed, or s/he may realize it doesn't work (until they are old enough to reason it out, by then you can leave the bottle for them to use themselves). But it may help them go back to sleep. If you know anything about aroma therapy, use it here.
For children who think there are monsters in the room, a friend used to put something that smelled into a spray bottle with water (find something the child like the scent of, anything from a flowery perfume to clove oil). Call it anti-monster spray. When the child awakes, spray in the closet and under the bed and at the window blinds and curtains. Don't do it before the child goes to bed, or s/he may realize it doesn't work (until they are old enough to reason it out, by then you can leave the bottle for them to use themselves). But it may help them go back to sleep. If you know anything about aroma therapy, use it here.
Sandyj
Sous Chef
My daughter Roseanne had this for about a year when she was 4. She had a lot of ear problems BTW. I eventually came up with a prayer for her, which I would recite softly in her ear as she was tossing and moaning....eventually she would calm down. This didn't work the first few times - I was just grasping at anything, but I kept doing it, and over time, it did seem to get through to her (she would have her eyes open but was definately not with us). The prayer was a simple one from my childhood (Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, look upon a little child....and I'd end it with...and dear God please protect Roseannie from....and I'd name all of her little fears. She was fearful of witches and monsters and snakes and robbers (poor little thing!), and I'd recite the list in the same order every night. Eventually, her baby sister Jessica would add things, and all three girls would listen (and let me know when I said things out of order or forgot things). We must have done this for about two years every night at bedtime, eventually.
Years later, someone told me that naming her fears like that really helped. I didn't know it at the time - like I said, just desperate to help her and grasping at anything I could think of. Now it is a treasured memory.
Years later, someone told me that naming her fears like that really helped. I didn't know it at the time - like I said, just desperate to help her and grasping at anything I could think of. Now it is a treasured memory.
OP
OP
PA Baker
Master Chef
Alix said:
Well, this is what we've had the last two nights. She'll reach up and climb into my arms but then literally try to climb over me (ouch for both of us!); that's when I realize she's still asleep. She's only had one both nights, but it leads to pretty rotten sleep the rest of the night--her tossing and waking easily and me jumping at every peep just in case.
Thanks for asking.
