What Are Night Terrors?

It can be frightening to hear your child cry or scream during the night. Any parent would naturally assume there’s something wrong and that their child’s health and wellbeing is at risk. But there’s not always a reason to worry. Your child could be experiencing night terrors, something that is fairly common in young children.

Though it’s extremely unpleasant to witness your child thrash about in bed, you will be reassured to hear that most children don’t remember night terrors and wake up as their normal happy and bouncy selves. The joys of being a parent, eh?
But what are night terrors? And why are they affecting your child? At Woolroom, our mission is to ensure that everyone has a comfortable and relaxing night’s sleep.

That’s why we’ve put together this blog to understand what night terrors are, how they differ from nightmares and what steps you can put in place to prevent your child from experiencing them. So settle down mums and dads, get comfy, and hear the hopeful tale of night terrors and how to overcome them.

Night terrors vs. nightmares

You may think that night terrors are similar to nightmares, where your child is experiencing a terrifying dream that is causing their horrific screaming and crying. Since it’s hard to tell the difference between night terrors and nightmares, to soothe a screaming child, you’ll want to wake them up. However, if your child is experiencing night terrors, then this could cause more harm than good. But don’t worry mum and dad, we’re here to explain the differences between night terrors vs. nightmares.

Nightmares are very common in both children and adults. They’re caused by numerous stimuli, including scary horror films (cushion anyone?), late night snacks (cheese is a very common cause of nightmares, according to the old wives’ tale) or stress and anxiety. During a nightmare, your body will likely have a visceral reaction, including sweating, a pounding heart or feelings of pure dread. However, once awoken, these feelings will quickly disappear, but you’ll most likely remember what happened in your nightmare. Don’t worry, we won’t judge you for putting on children’s cartoons to get those awful images out of your head.

Nightmares occur during REM sleep, also known as ‘rapid eye movement’ sleep. This is where your eyes move around rapidly, but your muscles will be without movement. Nightmares usually occur later at night, such as two or three in the morning (or caused by the witching hour, who knows?).

With night terrors vs. nightmares, the two are very different. In fact, they’re quite opposite. Night terrors occur during non-REM sleep, which is light sleep from which you can be easily awakened. Due to this, they occur much earlier on, even as soon as when your child first falls asleep. Nightmares are common for everyone, whereas night terrors are most common in children and thankfully they grow out of this. Though some conditions, such as mental health issues, can cause night terrors to continue into adulthood.

The symptoms of night terrors are more dramatic than nightmares. Your child will likely thrash or flail about, even jumping out of bed. They may scream, cry or shout and their eyes may be open, but they’re not fully awake. Night terrors can last several minutes, but they won’t wake up afterwards like with nightmares. In fact, children who experience night terrors aren’t usually aware that anything strange happened to them while they were sleeping.

What age do night terrors start?

Is your child experiencing night terrors now? Or have you heard horror stories from other parents at the school gates about them? Whatever you’re experiencing, it can be difficult to know when and if your children will experience them. So, what age do night terrors start? And when will they end?

Night terrors usually occur in children aged four to 12 years old, however there have been reports of babies as young as 18 months experiencing them. They are most common at ages three to five, where the majority of children make the transition from one nap to no naps at all. An understandable reaction to losing sleep, really.

By the time a child turns 12, they should have outgrown their night terrors and should have developed their own sleeping schedule. However, if your child is 12 or older and is still experiencing night terrors, then it would be best to consult a doctor who may refer them for a sleeping disorder or examine their mental health.

What causes night terrors?

There are various answers to what causes night terrors. If your family has a history of night terrors or sleepwalking behaviour, then unfortunately your child may likely experience this too. Other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome or nocturnal asthma can cause night terrors. If your child struggles with allergies at night, then we advise trying our naturally hypoallergenic kid’s bedding. Reduce their night-time issues with soft and cosy bedding that will help reduce symptoms of allergies.
Other factors can trigger night terrors including:

• Sleep deprivation.
• Fever.
• Periods of emotional distress.
• Separation anxiety.

Most night terrors occur on their own and are a natural process for children to go through as they start to gradually phase out naps and develop their own sleeping schedule. However, if you are concerned, we recommend speaking to your GP or paediatrician.

What helps with night terrors?

Children will naturally outgrow episodes of night terrors. However, if your child experiences them more than twice a month or would prefer to know how to care for them during episodes then there is some advice on what helps with night terrors.

When your child is experiencing a night terror, then the best possible thing you can do not wake them up, and instead wait for them to calm down. Unlike a nightmare, your child is still asleep during a night terror and may not recognise you or become more agitated if you try and comfort them. Your child won’t remember the episode in the morning, so it’s best to wait until then to have a general chat with them and ask if anything’s worrying them. However, try not to discuss the night terror episodes with them as this may cause them to worry and increase their anxiety, perpetuating the problem.

If your child experiences night terrors frequently and at specific times at night, then waking your child before this time may help to break the cycle. Wake your child 15 minutes before the anticipated time of the episode for a week to see if this helps.

A relaxing bedtime routine will help ease your child’s worries over sleeping, and they may be begin to look forward to it. We recommend running them a warm and bubbly bath where they can soak and play. After that, wrap them in fluffy towels to get them dry, then read with them or watch a short bedtime video. Don’t forget to get cosy in a wool blanket! A cuddle and goodnight kiss for your child and their favourite teddy will protect them from any night--time monsters or ghouls. If they’re still struggling to relax after being tucked in, then maybe leave a soft light on or background music or noise that will help their confidence.

That’s the end to our guide on what are night terrors. We hope we have given you some guidance and reassurance on this very normal childhood experience. For any other night-time problems, include sweating and allergies, why not let Woolroom help? Browse our range of wool bedding to guarantee you an excellent night’s sleep.