Nightmares???

[Vacant Visitor]

I need help! My 3 year old's sleep issues just keep returning... I've been to Ngala a couple of times, and he ends up sleeping thru for a while.

His latest thing is to cry out, up to 4-5 times a night. This has been going on for weeks now... It's like he's having nightmares, and is talking in his sleep, but nothing that seems that bad, eg. "my blocks fell over". "I want to stand up" etc. And most of the time, he isn't even aware he's doing it. I often wake him, after several times of reassuring him, just to make him aware that he is crying out and to find out what the matter is. He doesn't even know he's doing it! "What mum?" he'll say when I wake him up, but he's been screaming out for 10 minutes before that!

Its not night terrors, as he doesn't go stiff and have the usual behaviours of them.

My husband is away for the next week, and I want to try to get it sorted before he gets back. We have another baby due in Sept, and the anxiety between us as to how we'll deal with my DS and a newborn is building. Should I be doing "controlled crying" or should I be constantly reassuring him? As I said, its been weeks now...

[Dannielle]

Hi, yeah it's not night terrors if he's just calling out and crying. Could be sleeptalking and crying though. Especially if he's unaware he is doing it.

Just wanted to add that they don't go stiff with night terrors. They can even be standing and screaming and look like they are awake. DD2 wasn't stiff at all, far from it.

But my DD2 (8.5yrs) who used to get night terrors badly now has extremely weird sleepwalking and talking episodes. She's not aware she is doing them but I have realised when she does if I guide her to the toilet then she just has the one and not a few that night. Mind you I have some very weird and scary conversations with her. She is always unaware she has done it. She can be wandering around the house rattling about all sorts of things (usually very weird things) and look like she is awake.

For example one night she was yelling "I don't like it, it's all weird" and I found her standing near her bed. When I asked her what was wrong she motioned to her bed and the floor and said "I don't like it here, it's all weird and something isn't right". I said come on lets go to the toilet and she came. But then sat on the toilet and yelled "no, no, no, no I don't like it here I want the other toilet". Then she went there and then yelled "no, no, no, I don't like this game, I want to play a different game". Things like that will go on for a few minutes or so. Sometimes she will lay straight back down and seem instantly asleep while other times she will stand in her room yelling how things are not right or weird or how she wants to play a different game for a couple more minutes until I can guide her into bed.

The sleepwalking and sleeptalking (yelling) episodes seem to have similar triggers as the night terrors. So, if she is sick or overtired she will definately have an episode. I make sure I do a lavender scented bath when I can especially if she has had a big day and then a few drops of lavender under her pillow. (Lavender is mean't to relax the mind and the body) It seems to help a little bit.

Another thing to consider is food additives which can even be in things we think are healthy. There are a number of additives that can cause sleep disturbances.