Is It a Nightmare or a Night Terror?
The term “Night terror” gets thrown around a lot online to describe any sort of crying (or intense crying) that may happen at night.
So in this blog, we will cover what a night terror is, what a nightmare is, and when a child may just be overtired instead causing some sleep cries!
If you suspect your child is having night terrors, it’s important to bring this up to your pediatrician. You can get these diagnosed and even get a sleep study. There is often a genetic component as well.
For a night terror, your child will typically:
Begin with a frightening scream or shout
Sit up in bed and appear frightened
Stare wide-eyed
Sweat, breathe heavily, and have a racing pulse, flushed face and dilated pupils
Kick and thrash
Be hard to awaken, and be confused if awakened
Be inconsolable
Have no or little memory of the event the next morning
Possibly, get out of bed and run around the house or have aggressive behavior if blocked or restrained
Night terrors aren’t usually a huge concern for pediatricians. If they have them, bring it up during a well check. But you can consult if the night terrors:
Become more frequent
Routinely disrupt the sleep of the person with sleep terrors or other family members
Lead to safety concerns or injury
Result in daytime symptoms of excessive sleepiness or problems functioning
Continue beyond the teen years or start in adulthood
Remember, a child is actually asleep when this happens. They begin early in the night (so it’s easy to pinpoint).
Night terrors usually occur between the ages of 3-8, there are some documented as early as 18 months but that is very rare.
What about nightmares?
Nightmares are just a scary/unhappy dream and everyone has experienced these. You may even be able to recall one right now!
During a nightmare, your child may be:
Waking up crying and upset
speaking coherently, talking about what they are afraid of from their dream ● Asking for comfort, company and reassurance
Anxiety at bedtime, not wanting to fall asleep for fear of repeating the dream
Children typically begin to have nightmares at a developmental stage when they have the capacity to “imagine” things. This is always when fear of the dark can come into play because their imagination is developing and they can envision things in their minds that aren’t real. This happens typically around 3 years old, but can be a little earlier or a little later. In addition, nightmares typically happen at a specific time in the night
The differences between night terrors and nightmares:
Night Terrors
Happen early in the night
Child has no memory of them
Upon waking, most children are disoriented and confused
Child appears absolutely terrified
Movement is often unrestricted because they’re not in a phase of sleep with muscle paralysis
Nightmares
Happen in the early morning, usually after 2am
Child can usually describe it in detail right after they wake up and throughout the day
Child usually orients/isn’t confused upon waking
Child is afraid, but not super intense fear
Movement can be restricted because nightmares occur during REM sleep
How do you respond to a night terror?
In the moment, it’s best to sit quietly nearby, offer soothing if they’re accepting of it, and supervise to make sure they don’t injure themselves.
Honestly, the best way to “treat” it is to try to prevent it. Decrease stimulation, overtiredness, have an early bedtime, no caffeine or screens, and spending time outside can help!
If your child seems to experience a night terror at the same time each night, waking them 30 minutes prior and allowing them to fall back asleep can act as a “reset’ for their sleep cycles and may help them avoid the night terror.
Night terrors may be treated by addressing an underlying disorder such as a comorbid mental health problem, or respiratory problems that lead to fractured sleep. As people may be mobile during night terrors, it is essential to ensure that their surrounding environment is safe to prevent injuries.
How do you respond to a nightmare?
Reassure your child that you’re there. Be a calming presence after their dream.
Label what’s happened. Let your child know that it was a nightmare and now it’s over. You might say something like, “You had a bad dream, but now you’re awake and everything is OK.” Reassure your child that the scary stuff in the nightmare didn’t happen in the real world.
Offer comfort. Show that you understand that your child feels afraid and it’s OK. Remind your child that everyone dreams and sometimes the dreams are scary, upsetting, and can seem very real, so it’s natural to feel scared by them.
Mood lighting. A nightlight or a hall light can help kids feel safe in a darkened room as they get ready to go back to sleep. A bedside flashlight can be a good nightmare-chaser.
Help your child go back to sleep. Offering something comforting might help change the mood. Try any of these to aid the transition back to sleep: a favorite stuffed animal to hold, a blanket, pillow, nightlight, dreamcatcher, or soft music. Or discuss some pleasant dreams your child would like to have. And maybe seal it by giving your child a kiss to hold — in the palm of his or her hand — as you tiptoe out of the room.
Be a good listener. No need to talk more than briefly about the nightmare in the early hours — just help your child feel calm, safe, and protected, and ready to go back to sleep. But in the morning, your child may want to tell you all about last night’s scary dream. By talking about it — maybe even drawing the dream or writing about it — in the daylight, many scary images lose their power. Your child might enjoy thinking up a new (more satisfying) ending to the scary dream.
Remember, not every spontaneous intense cry out during sleep is a night terror. It’s very very distinct! A bad dream is a possibility, but not until they’re over the age of 2 typically when they have an imagination.
The most common reason for any intense crying at night is related to overtiredness or a sleep association where they need help getting back to sleep.
