Night Terrors in 13 month old?

[~Kimba~]

Do night terrors start as early as 1?

Occasionally my DS will start screaming in the night (usually around 10pm if it happens) and when I go in and pick him up, he's sweating and crying hysterically but still seems to be sound asleep, and has no idea who I am.

When I try to cuddle and soothe him or offer him a drink, he pushes me away and struggles against me like he's scared of me or something, it's horrible.

This has been happening sporadically for a couple of months, there's no pattern to it but it seems to happen around 10pm and mainly when he's unwell, overtired, or teething, and especially on days where he's been obviously tired but refused to sleep much during the day (like today!)

When it happens the only way to calm him seems to be to semi-wake him (talking or singing to him, turning on music or taking him into a different dimly lit room), but I hate waking him, and if I do it's hard to resettle him back to sleep. Anyway I heard that if it IS a night terror then you shouldn't wake them because it makes them more distressed?

Anyone else experienced this with a 1 year old? What can I do?

[EsSjAy]

Yes... went through this with my 7 year old when he was this age... I remember it well...

They definately can become more distressed if they wake but sometimes it's nessesary...

I would go into his room and lay next to him and cuddle him tight and rock him IYKWIM? and whisper Shhhhhh in his ear.... this always worked...
Now and then he still has them and it still works... Although now he walks around and I have to make absolutely sure the house is locked and nothing left on the ground...

It's not always related to anything serious but we did discover that ds had problems with his ears shortly after as he had a hearing test and it was not good.... He's o.k now, he's had grommets put in and his hearing is almost normal...
The paed didn't think that it was related...

Night terrors are more common than people think and can vary on how intense they are...

Have a look at this... this information is excellent... (http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/nightmares_and_night_terrors.htm)

:hugs: x x

[Leeny]

If you do a seach on night terrors, you'll get alot of good information. DD had these from the time she was about one, and had them for a bit over a year. They only happen occasionally now, but her's were very bad. She could go for an hour of just screaming and whailing.. And yes, if its night terrors, as a general rule, if you touch them or try to talk to them, it does get worse and distress them more.

I found (and most places you read tell you to do this), that if I just made sure she was safe and couldnt hurt herself (ie. bang head on the side of the cot, fall out of bed from thrashing, injure self on furniture etc), and just be there, she settled down eventually. I wouldnt talk to her or touch her, I'd just stay with her to make sure she didnt hurt herself.

Its a really hard thing to watch. I've written about it in a few threads, and theres quite a few night terror threads on here. It is more common then people think. I never knew they existed until dd was 1. Good luck :hugs:

[metalhead713]

I think all babies can have nightmares of some sort, my dd is nearly 5 months and occasionaly she wakes up crying at around the same time as your ds, around 10pm (she usualy sleeps from about 8pm-6/7am) only difference is she settles pretty easily, i just go pop the dummy back in and pat her a bit and shes fast asleep again.:confused: weird

[lovebeingamum!]

Absolutely- DS had them from about 8 months... which is younger than most stories you read when you research on the net.

As the other posters have said, I think it does sound like Night Terrors, Ds used to get them when he was over tired or sick or teething. He also got, and still has, growing pain in his legs which i think triggers them... if he's gotten a bit chilled in the aircon during the day while he's sleeping, etc

I think the best thing to do is wait it out - dont try and wake them. DS was super easy to settle after so i liked to hold him until it passed... it's very hard to just watch and do nothing.
You'll find stuff on the net that says they can be caused by a full bladder or their feet being overheated (in footie pj;s), but at this age i think it's overtiredness, sickness??

Everything you've described sounds like night terrors, but keep your mummy instinct honed- if it doesnt 'feel' right, take him to your gp

It'll be hard for you, but it does get easier- the first time scared the c&*p outta me, especially if you've been woken up from sleep... i can now tell when it's a 'terror cry' and just go in calmly and give him a pat/cuddle until its over. Goodluck :hugs:

[Bewitched]

Absolutely- DS had them from about 8 months... which is younger than most stories you read when you research on the net.

As the other posters have said, I think it does sound like Night Terrors, Ds used to get them when he was over tired or sick or teething. He also got, and still has, growing pain in his legs which i think triggers them... if he's gotten a bit chilled in the aircon during the day while he's sleeping, etc

I think the best thing to do is wait it out - dont try and wake them. DS was super easy to settle after so i liked to hold him until it passed... it's very hard to just watch and do nothing.
You'll find stuff on the net that says they can be caused by a full bladder or their feet being overheated (in footie pj;s), but at this age i think it's overtiredness, sickness??

Everything you've described sounds like night terrors, but keep your mummy instinct honed- if it doesnt 'feel' right, take him to your gp

It'll be hard for you, but it does get easier- the first time scared the c&*p outta me, especially if you've been woken up from sleep... i can now tell when it's a 'terror cry' and just go in calmly and give him a pat/cuddle until its over. Goodluck :hugs:

:iagree: DS had these from about 8 monthsas well, these are night terrors for sure i think. Do research it on the net, as they say it is better not to wake them, and that prevention can sometimes help if you semi wake them about an hour or so before you go to bed, apparently this reduces the chance of a night terror quite considerably. Its frightening to watch them go through it but it will pass :hugs:

[~Kimba~]

Hi guys thanks for all the responses it's good to know I'm not alone in this. I realise now that DS has been having these sporadically for quite a while, I actually used to put it down to 'pain' from teething, but now he's older I can really tell the difference, and looking back I'm pretty sure now that he was having these terrors even as far back as a few months ago :(

You're right, you can tell right away if it's a 'terror cry', just from the sound of it. I've found if I can get there quick enough (IE as soon as I hear him stir, before he starts full on screaming) then I can usually calm him with a drink and a cuddle and some soft singing and shushing, but if I'm too late getting there then he's too far gone.

I think I'll do a bit more research now! Might try the 'semi wake him before it usually happens' trick and see how we go...

thanks again

[Dannielle]

Hi, my DD2 got them from about 6 months. It sounds like night terrors to me.

You will be able to work out whats best to do while he is having one. For example with DD2 I soon worked out it was best to not touch her or speak to her and just watch and make sure she didn't hurt herself. Or when she was older make sure she didn't fall out of bed. I found if I interfiered in any way then the night terror would seem more intense and last ALOT longer.

The best advise someone gave me was to try a few drops of lavender under her pillow. Just drop 3-4 drops on the mattress under her pillow every night. It worked like magic for us.