There was a comment on my post from "Helpful" who directed me to nightterrors.org.  While there I kept seeing a common thread in that the kids were always sweaty.  Well.....good news!  I also noticed that Chandler was quite sweaty during an episode, so I have eliminated one of his blankets and he decided not to use his pillow.  It looks like we may have found the solution!  Chandler has not had a night terror in over a week!!!  (Hopefully I didn't just jinx it!!).  I have always bundled him up since he was a baby mostly because I'm always cold.  Since removing the blanket and pillow he hasn't been cold and he's sleeping like a baby!!  THANK YOU HELPFUL!!!

I decided to write this post because my 8 year old son, Chandler, suffers from Night Terrors almost every night.  When he was invited to spend the night at a friends house I explained to the mother about Night Terrors and she replied that she had them as a child and never knew what they were.  My little Chandler, bless his heart, tried staying awake all night because his friends mother might not know how to take care of him.  He finally nodded off about 3am.  When he'd spend the night at my sisters he was OK because he knew his aunt would be able to help him.  I reassured him that if he ever spends the night somewhere I wouldn't let him stay if I didn't feel confident that they'd be able to care for him.  So I thought I'd provide some useful information on the subject so if your child is experiencing Night Terrors you'll know what to tell friends parents so your kids can experience sleep overs like normal kids. 

webmd.com has the following information about Night Terrors:

Night Terrors Overview  

The sleep disorder of night terrors typically occurs in children aged 3-12 years, with a peak onset in children aged 3½ years.

Sleep is divided into 2 categories: rapid eye movement (REM) and nonrapid eye movement (non-REM). Non-REM sleep is further divided into 4 stages, progressing from stages 1-4. Night terrors occur during the transition from stage 3 non-REM sleep to stage 4 non-REM sleep, beginning approximately 90 minutes after the child falls asleep.

Night terrors are distinctly different from the much more common nightmares, which occur during REM sleep. Night terrors are characterized by frequent recurrent episodes of intense crying and fear during sleep, with difficulty arousing the child. Night terrors are frightening episodes that disrupt family life.  

An estimated 1-6% of children experience night terrors. Boys and girls are equally affected. Children of all races also seem to be affected equally. The disorder usually resolves during adolescence.

Night Terrors Causes

Night terrors may be caused by the following:

• Stressful life events
  
• Fever
  
• Sleep deprivation
  
• Medications that affect the central nervous system (the brain)

Night Terrors Symptoms

In addition to frequent recurrent episodes of intense crying and fear during sleep, with difficulty arousing the child, children with night terrors may also experience the following:

• Tachycardia (increased heart rate)
  
• Tachypnea (increased breathing rate)
  
• Sweating during episodes 

Unlike nightmares, most children do not recall a dream after a night terror episode, and they usually do not remember the episode the next morning. 

The typical night terror episode usually begins approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. The child sits up in bed and screams, appearing awake but is confused, disoriented, and unresponsive to stimuli. Although the child seems to be awake, the child does not seem to be aware of the parents' presence and usually does not talk. The child may thrash around in bed and does not respond to comforting by the parents. 

Most episodes last 1-2 minutes, but they may last up to 30 minutes before the child relaxes and returns to normal sleep. 

If the child does awake during a night terror, only small pieces of the episode may be recalled. Usually, the child does not remember the episode upon waking in the morning.

When to Seek Medical Care

Sleep disruption is parents' most frequent concern during the first years of a child's life. Half of all children develop a disrupted sleep pattern serious enough to warrant physician assistance.

• In children younger than 3½ years, peak frequency of night terrors is at least 1 episode per week.
  
• Among older children, peak frequency of night terrors is 1-2 episodes per month.  

If your child seems to be experiencing night terrors, an evaluation by the child's pediatrician may be useful. During this evaluation, the pediatrician may also be able to exclude other possible disorders that might cause night terrors.

Chandler experiences all the symptoms mentioned.  Often times he is out of bed or trying to pull his bedding off.  He's even pounded on the walls.  We have spoken to our pediatrician however there is little research in children's sleep disorders.  For adults experiencing sleep disorders often time medication is prescribed to help them sleep.  While I hate seeing Chandler so fearful, I also hate the idea of medicating him.  So we will just ride them out and hopefully they'll end when he's 12.

We have found eating dinner no later then 5:30-6pm helps as well as strictly limiting his sugar intake during the day.  We discovered when he was three or four that fruit snacks seemed to really increase the frequency even if he'd eaten them very early in the day.  We also discovered last year that regular chiropractic adjustments significantly decreased the severity of his episodes.

So if your kids are experiencing Night Terrors be patient and loving when they occur.  And keep in mind they most often will pass.

Sandy Noll
Realtor, eAgent
Keller Williams Realty
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
http://www.letsachieveyourgoals.com/
Woodinville, Kirkland, Bothell

For another useful link click here to go to nightterrors.org