'There's a monster under the bed, Mummy!'

Waking up to hear your toddler screaming and thrashing around in bed is a scary experience but it's more than likely he's suffering from a night terror.
 
What are night terrors?
Around five per cent of pre-schoolers suffer from night terrors. 'These are not the same as nightmares,' says Dr Guinevere Tufnell, a child psychiatrist and specialist in sleep problems. 'Night terrors are triggered by brain activity, and are most common in pre-school children. The majority of children grow out of them by the age of around four or five.'

During a night terror, part of the brain becomes aroused, while the rest remains in a state of deep sleep, including the part that is related to awareness and memory. 'If your toddler has a night terror, she'll look as if she is awake, even though she isn't - and she probably won't remember anything about it the next morning,' says Dr Tufnell.

What to do if your child has a night terror
Don't treat her as if she is awake, or attempt to wake her up. Try to calm her down by being as relaxed as possible.
Make sure she's safe by putting locks on doors and windows and gates on stairs, and ensuring there's nothing she could trip over if she sleepwalks.
If night terrors are very frequent or disruptive, try keeping a diary of exactly when they occur. Then wake the child up a few minutes before one is due, every day for a week. There is often a pattern and doing this may put a stop to them.
If you are very worried, or if your child's night terrors are frequent, take her to see your GP. She might recommend a short course of medication to help her sleep, or refer her so you can get a specialist's opinion.

What are nightmares?
Nightmares, on the other hand, are likely to wake your child up and are often easily recalled. They are normally caused by something that is worrying or upsetting your child - perhaps the death of a pet or relative, or even something they've seen on TV. 'Unlike night terrors, they are an expression of anxiety about something in day-to-day life, and their cause may not be obvious,' says Dr Tufnell.

While nightmares affect anyone, they are particularly common among children aged between three and five who are starting to question the world around them. They shouldn't cause alarm unless they're frequent or on a recurring theme.

What to do if your child has a nightmare
Encourage her to talk about the contents of her nightmare or ask her to do a drawing showing what happened.
If she doesn't want to talk about it, give her lots of cuddles and reassurance.
If her nightmares are very frequent or always feature the same frightening event, it can be helpful to seek specialist advice.

Article supplied by Mother & Baby magazine.