Sleeping Issues

My son did that. I called it night terrors. He did that when he was overly tired, if I put him to bed later than usual, or if he didn't get his nap. I was able to eliminate them by getting him to bed at his normal bedtime, which was 7:00 pm at the time. Now, he is 13 years old, his bedtime is 10:00 and if he stays up much later than that, he is cranky the next day. Try having a bedtime ritual, like a nice warm bath, a bedtime story and then to bed at the same time every night. That should really help.
Blessings,
J.

My son woke up around age 3 1-2 times per night- he was growing so fast that it caused severe leg and foot pain- doctor had us give him Motrin before bed for a few weeks, then it happened again around age 5- very common for boys!

I have a 4 year old daughter who does this same thing!!! I asked her doctor and she said they were night terrors and that they do eventually grow out of them. I honestly don't think there is anything you can do to stop them. I have been told not to wake them though as this aggrivates them more and found this to be true with my child. I will say they have gotten better over time, and seem to be worse when she is over tired, or is wearing feety pajamas (why I don't know). I don't know if this helps any. A.

S.,

I too think it's night terrors. My son had them when he was about 6 months old. Let me tell you, I learned how to fly. From what I know about them, the child is still sound asleep when they are having these terrors. I don't remember if the recommendation is to wake them up, or let them "fit" it out. Do what you think is right. You might also want to think about/alter your bedtime routine to see if that is maybe part of the problem.

We (my son and I) used to watch COPS at night before bed, so that he could learn what Daddy would be doing at work. He started getting aggressive with everyone, and having more and more nightmares. I finally cut out the COPS before bed, and it (mostly) went away. He's still sometimes aggressive, but he's a VERY active 4 1/2 year old boy.

Hope this helps,
Melissa

I completely agree with everyone else that it sounds like night terrors. I do have one difference, though, that I've not seen in any other response. My son (now 19) had them for several years. Finally, at almost 4 years of age, my new pediatrician told me it appeared to be night terrors and he gave him a pill to take each evening before bed. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, but it forced his body into the deep sleep it needed and after taking it about 4 weeks it became a natural habit for his body. He has never had to take the pill again and it totally ended his problem. I don't know if they grow out of it or not, but we endured it for a few years before we got this great "cure". Maybe doctors don't give any medication now or maybe my doctor was unconventional, but it was a lifesaver for me. I had an infant at the same time and was not doing well with no sleep. Probably one of the worst times in my marriage, as well, 'cause I'm cranky and not nice when I don't have sleep. We were pretty short-tempered with one another. Thank God for that doctor:)

Vitamin B1. You can find this at Walgreens for $2.99. I would start of with 1/2 pill crushed up in applesauce, yogurt or ice cream. My daughter was a chronic sleep walker, night terrors were awful at 2 as she got older (13 now) the night terrors continued. My chiropractor (and now husband) suggested this. It works. Give it time. My niece had never slept through the night and I tried getting my sister-in-law to use it for 2 years. She finally tried it, Shelby has been sleeping through the night since. It is worth a shot. It will not hurt anything.

Talk to your pediatrician about Night Terrors. I have a niece and a nephew with this. They wake up partially at night, but not all the way and they scream. It is something about the brain only partially coming to conciousness but not recognizing the surroundings. A small lamp on in the room helps a lot, or leaving the door open with the hall light on. Not just a nightlight. Do talk to your pediatrician, though. If they're not familiar with Night Terrors, find one who is. It's not uncommon.

Hi S.. We have dealt with nightmares and night terrors with our 5 year old son. It's not clear to me from your description if your child is having nightmares or night terrors, but I think it might be night terrors. Dr. Ferber's book is very helpful on this issue. Please don't be put off by Dr. Ferber's sleep training methods which some parents find so unappealing! His section on night terrors was very loving, supportive and helpful. And his solutions worked well for our son!

Best of luck.

You might talk to your doctor about night terrors. I have a 4 year old son that gets them every now and then. They can happen multiple times in one night. It started when he was about 1 1/2 - 2 years old. Have you talked to your 2 year old to see if he remembers it happening? If not, it might be a night terror. It so, then they might just be nightmares. This is according to our pediatrician. You might look into it more with your pediatrician. I hope this helps.

I have just started reading 'The no-cry sleep solution for toddlers and preschoolers' it talks about night terrors. My brother had them too when we were kids. Kinda disturbing because it wakes the whole family up. His eyes would be open and we would have entire conversations that he would not remember any of it and he would get mad at us for lying about it. I think the book suggests that you only litely pat him and make the shh sound and make sure he stays safe. So I guess we did the wrong things with my brother. Good Luck! Jeni

I'm not sure about suggestions, but I have heard that when there is rapid growth, both physical and brain, children tend to have more nightmares or movement at night. Some questions, is your son still napping? Do you have a calming bed time ritual? Does he watch tv? Some things to consider is if he is being exposed to tv/videos beyond his development, to stop exposing him and see if that subsides. When my son would do that, it really didn't matter if I comforted him, he was still so "in it". I would just stay there and quietly say, "you are safe, Mama's here" and I would repeat that again and again.
I wonder what others have experienced.
The good news, it really won't last forever. I know it's h*** o* your sleep. Good luck.

Night Terrors. No big deal. Get used to them, they don't usually grow out of them.

Sounds a lot like a night terror to me. I nannied for a 3 year old boy who did exactly as you described and his Ped. said that's what he was experiencing. They are frightening but what i've been told is the child does not recall the event and often will look at you like "why did you wake me?" once they "come to". Ask your Dr! Good luck :)

Our first daughter had "night terrors." She'd wake up kicking and screaming and you'd think she was being murdered. She slept thru the whole thing and never remembered anything in the morning. Obviously, WE WEREN't sleeping!! Eventually she outgrew them. I sang to her when she'd go thru these. Pray, too. At some point we think they happened when she was over-tired. Getting her to bed (even if she didn't go right to sleep) earlier helped a bit. My husband's brother would do this, too. I hope your son outgrows this soon!! Hang in there. -- C.

I wonder if your son might be having night terrors. I had them as a child, and still do occassionally as an adult, and my oldest son had them as a toddler. A night terror is an extreme nightmare in which the person appears awake; they may walk, talk, cry out, and act out what is happening in their dream, all with their eyes wide open.

The doctor I consulted with my son, as well as everything I've read, confirmed that the best way to handle it is to constrain them enough so they won't hurt themselves, do NOT try to wake them up, and stay with them until they fall back asleep. Just as in sleepwalking (which my younger son did), waking them up could cause extreme fear and disorientation.

Most kids grow out of it, so hang in there. Even though I still have them, my older son's stopped by age 4. My younger son's sleepwalking started at age 4 and continued for 3 years. They are 13 and 10 now and both are great sleepers.

God bless,
T.
http://www.bornagainresale.net

Sounds like night terrors. Our son had them as well and you would tell him in the morning and he didn't even remember. His body/brain is having difficulty going from one sleep mode into deep sleep mode. After research, we did 2 main things - we kept his bedroom pretty cool at night and then I think this is the big one but really hard to do - we actually left stopped going into his room when he was having one. He doesn't even know you're there and all the touching, talking and consoling make the terrors last longer. It was maybe 2-4 weeks after we did those things that they just stopped. I so want to say though that we stayed in our bed and listened just to make sure he wasn't doing anything to hurt himself. Our son also did some sleepwalking, which was a little weird, so just keep one ear open at night and it will all pass. Hang in there, it's rough to see and hear your child go through this, but they don't remember.

It might be night screams. I thought one of my kids had those too - research it on the internet and see if the symptoms sound like what he is doing. The son of a friend of mine had them really bad and he grew out of them by the time he was about 3.

S. -
What your child is experiencing may be "night terrors." The scenario is usually this: child starts screaming, cannot be stopped, and doesn't really seem awake at the time (though his eyes may be open). The child has no memory of the incident afterwards.

If this is the case, then, first, understand that this is not all that unusual. It may be related to a recent stress, so check for that. Is something going on at home or at a childcare situation that you can smooth over a bit?

Second, one way to deal with these is to get the child up just before the first "scheduled" terror. There usually is a pattern to these things. Rouse him ten minutes or so before he usually has one of these and you may be able to re-set his sleep pattern.

I deal with night terrors and all sorts of sleep issues on my blog at http://mothersmentor.blogspot.com Check it out.

Nan A.

My son did this, but he was a bit younger (he was several months old). We found that he was constipated (the poor boy was for 3 weeks)! He had stomach aches that would cause him to do this. Once he was able to do his duty he didn't have any more problems thrashing around and crying.

If your son does have night terrors, just try to be as patient as you can. I had them well into my teen years, and even when you have some comprehension of what's happening, they are a truly terrifying experience.

They seem to be exacerbated by stress, a change in routine, or being overly tired. Also, movies or TV shows that are even slightly frightening can add to the subconscious images that come out during the episodes.

Besides checking out the night terrors, I would make sure he isn't hungry (have a good snack before bed) and he also may be peeing those times (if he isn't potty trained, he's learning the sensation of it). With our 2 year old, his waking is almost always one of those two things. Or check that he isn't too hot/cold, and the molars are also likely. Hope this helps.

My daughter had night terrors as well. I really think they have to do with something happening or triggering them during their waking hours. My daughter started them when we moved into this house that has a serious mouse problem. We moved and the night terrors stopped.

Dear S., I used to have nightmares as a child and my mother decided I needed more fresh air. Also I did not like heavy blankets and had to kick them off. My nightmares went away eventually.

so my only suggestion is to be sure his room is cool and he is not too confined.

Also, there may be a problem with digestion. He may need a digestive enzyme for intolerance to something like cow's milk.
Just a thought. good luck...M. barb

hey there. i was told that protien before bed helps with night terrors and wake ups. every night we give our 3 year old a snack before bed of toast and peanut butter, oatmeal or a banana. when the night runs away with us and snack is overlooked, she almost always wakes up. try it and see if it works for your little one. much luck ~S. b

Sounds like night terrors. Try leaving a light on in his room. one that is just bright enough to give him a little bit of light to help him realize that he's still safe at home. Also keep it kind of close to his bed. My nephew has this problem, and occationally yells or cries all while still asleep. Google night terrors, there is lots of info out there.

My son does this and has for about a year (he's almost four). He is the most happy kid during the day. We don't have television. We don't have stimulus at night that would warrant it. It's sad to see him go through it but we just try to talk and cuddle him a bit.

I'm sorry I don't have any great advice but I just wanted to say, I think this falls in "normal" behavior limits and there are many children that do it!

S., This just scares me! There are alot of reasons this could be happening, but what ever it is, it scared him real bad. If this was me, I would take him to a therapist, that you can trust (very important) they know how to talk to, and work with a child that age. You may be able to get it out of him yourself if you can find a safe approach. God bless, I will add him in my prayers. R.

He may be having nightmares. Sometimes subsonciously what he's seen during the day, plays back in his dreams and of course, he's in the staring role (victimized).

This happened to me when I was a child and my older sister (10 years my senior) was watching vampire movies, creature feature, etc. You should ask him what he watches on tv, when you're not around. The cartoons today are more violent than funny. They could also have an impact...

Talk it out and let him know it's not real (the sci-fi fiction, etc). Teach him how to empower himself during his dreams and to take charge. He can shape the dream however he wants. Funny enough, I learned this from my son. He has a "high-state of lucid dreaming. He alters the dream when he doesn't like the direction it is taking. I didn't teach this to him. He figured it out on his own. When I was pregnant with him I read a book about this subject. Somewhere in Japan or China, children were being taught to controle their dreams... lucid dreaming.

Here is a websit on Lucid Dreaming: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1759.

All else fails, you may need a specialist.

I am a grandma and mom. My daughter has 3 adopted children-twins 6 and a 2 yearold. One of the twins and the 2 yearold has had what is call night terrors. the 6 yearold has out grown hers and the 2 yearold is having less. My daughter has taken them to doctors and all say nothing can be done. All you can do is hold and comfort them. Usually they are not really awake. But can wake up scared and will fall back to sleep exhausted. The twins came from a really bad situation and the 2 yearold was a drug baby. BUT I have known "normal" children to have them also. The other thing this can be growing pains. And they are real. After 20 years of day care there isn't much I haven't seen. Good Luck S.

sounds like night terrors. There isn't much that can be done while they are happening. Your son really isn't awake and will not remember them at all. They are more frightening for you. My daughter has had them too. They usually happen around a new milestone or a transition or if their schedules get out of whack. You can talk to your son's doctor more about them if you are very concerned.
A.

could be dreams or could be growing pains. All of my kids (5) have done this usally it is a bad dream. Just like sometimes they will crack up(laugh) while sleeping. Other times they will cry and kick out as my daughter got older she was able to tell me that her legs hurt- usally the knee area. When it happens, I rub the area, give tylonol, and if real bad let her use the heating pad.

Is he actually waking? Have you tried to talk to him during this time? If he isn't awake and responding to you, he is probably having night terrors. My daughter had night terrors and later nightmares. She is 3 and I finally took her to a Naturopath about a year ago and the night terrors disappeared with about 3 treatments. Then we dealt with nightmares - she wakes slightly with these but not at all with the terrors. After 4-5 treatments for nightmares, she only has one about once every two weeks now.

What you are describing sounds more like night terrors to me and resembles the terrors my daughter used to have. Although, she didn't do much kicking, but the very loud, like I'm in major pain, screaming, some thrashing about, and crying loudly.

My suggestion is to see a Naturopath. I can recommend one on the west side if you like.

D.

My son did the same thing until I took him off of dairy.

Usually this is called Night frights or night terrors. He is most likely not really awake. There is no way to calm them. Loving them is all you can do at the time. Now you can help prevent them. They are nightmares so something is bothering him. Is he watching some tv/video that is bothering him? Does he have another stress that he is dealing with? It is amazing what it can be sometimes. Potty training, sibling rivalry, daddy/mommy going to work try to talk to him about it (when he is awake). He may be able to give you some clues. Good luck!

Hi! I also have a 2 year old daughter, who was doing this for about a month. We finally checked her mouth and saw that she was getting 3 new molars. We then gave her IBprofen before bed for a little while until they broke through.

Has your child had a cold that has been longer than 12 days? Sometimes my daughter's colds will go into ear infections and she'll demonstrate the same night-time behavior.

Good luck,
Leslie

It sounds like night terrors, which are very common at this age. I think their brains are just starting to really understand dreams. Because they are really becoming aware of the world around them, and the brain really makes sense of the world while we sleep. I know it sound silly, but really limit TV time for the entire family, even "kids" shows. Kid movies usually have a few scary parts. And Adult shows can be heard even when not being viewed by little ones. I don't know if the 16 year old is playing video games around your son, but those can trigger bad dreams as well. It doesn't have to be a forever thing, your little one will get use to dreams,and as long as he has the security of Mom and Dad when the bad dreams come, he'll get through this phase just fine.

It almost sounds like your child suffers from night terror. Does it seem that they might still be asleep? We have it with our son who started it when he was 5 months. Too much stimuli would do this to him, but he would only have one every two weeks. They are terrifying... but nothing hurtful to the child.

You might want to go into see a doctor, if you can video tape them to give your pedi an idea what's going on.

This is only if it seems that your son is 'out of it' or 'still asleep' when he does this.

-steffi

I think it sounds like night terror too. It runs in my family both my sister have had it and my almost three year old had it for a long while but since has grown out of it. It is more horrifying for you to witness then it is for your son to experince. heis still sound asleep when this is happening. I would talk to your doc and see what they have to say. It could be as much as turning off the tv two hours before bed so that things he sees even on a news clip dont stay with him. My son just stopped on his own. that maybe the case with yours as well. good luck and hang in there.

I don't know how long "night terrors" last or it may just be nightmares. I'd search night terrors on the Internet and see if you can learn more.

I agree it sounds like night terrors. I suggest talking to his dr about it. Has there been any changes that may affect him? Sometime night terrors are because an emotional issue. I know there very difficult to deal with, but my experience is NOT to wake them up. Mu nephew got them when he was about the same age and I remeber my sister woke him up once and he really freaked out.