728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Sleep Issues › Terror in the Night

Terror in the Night

By Carma Haley

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

"She would often get up and walk around or just cry and scream in her bed," says Sember, of Clarence, N.Y. "It was as if she did not hear or see us, even though her eyes were open. Nothing we did had an impact on her when it was happening. It really was very upsetting for us as parents. We began to talk to her about it at times but she never had any memory of it."

Sleep terrors are the result of an immature sleep or arousal system of the child, according to the National Sleep Foundation. When a child's sleep system is immature, they do not spend as much time in REM -- also known as the dream state -- and may spend most of their sleep hours in between the arousal state and deep sleep. The arousal state of sleep is the period in which people often report that the environment around them influences their "dreams." If a noise is heard, the noise becomes part of the thoughts of the sleeper. As a result, if a child's arousal system is immature, they may become aroused quickly or abruptly by their environment, Sheldon says. However, these children will not fully awaken but will still respond to whatever it is that aroused them resulting in what is known as a sleep terror.

"It's a maturation problem," says Sheldon. "The arousal system and the sleep system just have to match up with one another to allow the child to maintain a deep sleep or to wake up completely when aroused."

Several factors can play a part in the intensity and frequency of sleep terrors. Sheldon says a child is more likely to have sleep terrors if they are extremely fatigued, under stress, depressed or has had a recent traumatic experience. Influences such as these are called "stressors." Oftentimes identifying the stressor of a child's sleep terrors is the first step to reducing their occurrence.

Child sleeping."As stressors play a big part in how often a child suffers from sleep terrors, it is important to attempt to identify as many as possible," says Sheldon. "Oftentimes stressors are easy to identify -- fatigue, a bully at school, a divorce or a natural disaster. Other times it is very difficult to identify them and it may take a little more investigative work. When a stressor cannot be identified parents may want to consider keeping a journal for their child including things that happen during the day, what they watch on television, who they are with, what they do, etc. The journal can then be taken to the family pediatrician who may be able to see a pattern that the parents may not offering clues to a child's sleep terror occurrences."

Pages:  1  2  3  4  


Want to see more?