4yr old daughter & extreme Night Terrors

Mo MO

Hi all,

I am hoping someone has experienced what is happening to me and my daughter at night, it is like something from a paranormal Activity film.

My daughter is 4yrs of age, is active healthy and very happy.
She has just started BIG school and is enjoying every minute.
She goes to bed between 8.30 -9 and has up until a few months ago been a very good sleeper.

Last night was the worst so far. It started at about 10pm an hour after she went to bed, I heard her scremaing, like as if she was been tortured, i ran up the stairs and she was sound asleep but thrashing around her bed like she was been thrown. I tried to wake her ( i hear that is not the best thing to do), but she was in such a deep sleep I couldnt. After a few minutes she stopped and I left the room.
A few hours later the same thing only this time when I went into the room she was on the floor, face down. I have to say at this point I was getting quite scared. I picked her up cuddled her, stayed with her for an hour or so and she was grand. This proceeded all night up till about 5am. Every time was different, she could be crying out, screaming, on the floor, under the bed. Every time its the same thing she is crying out " Please I dont want to go", Leave me alone, I dont want to.........

I have done some research on this, but nothing that can help us. I am at the stage now where I dread bedtime and what awaits.

She isnt eating before bed, doesnt watch anything on TV, she is read a bedtime story or we play Barbies nothing that would have her thinking the way she is at present.

Please help me...........

January

OP, I'm going to move this to the Sleeping & Dreaming forum... you should get better answers there...

I'll leave a redirect here in this forum too though.

Davidth88

Hi

Our 5YO daughter had exactly the same thing , its really scary.

We just sat with her ( cuddled her ) didn't wake her and after about 5 mins it passes .

We found that if she was too warm this may have brought this on , so we dress her in really thin pajamas etc . Is her bedroom very warm , have you switched the heating on recently ?

With our little one it passed after about 2 months where it was happening every week or so

Good luck

Mo MO

Thanks David, it makes sense all right.
Ill try it tonight.

fingers crossed

Davidth88

Hi


Sorry I should have put this in my earlier post

Something that I used in my own head to make me feel a little better about this.

I reckoned our little one , who is a very happy smiley girl was having these dreams because it was her brains way of checking the ' scary circuits ' out and making sure they worked .

Its almost certainly nonsense but it made me feel better

Let us know how you get on OP

bbam

Hi OP..
Sorry to hear about this..
Our first daughter had night terrors on/off for about 9 months.. Sometimes for 10-12 nights in a row and then a break for no reason...

We tried changing the room, temperature, lighting bedtime routines and nothing really helped (not what you wanted to hear im sure)..

It slowly filtered out and now only occasionaly has bad dreams but notiing unusual..

It's very distressing when you're going through it, my only comfort was that my daughter didn't remember a thing and was as bright and happy the mornings after them as after a setteled nights sleep...

Hope it eases sooner rather than later..

Mo MO

I know what you mean.
I was thinking has something happened her, has someone hurt her and she wont tell us.

Hopefully this will work tonight, thanks again

The Irish Cowboy

Let us know how you get on! I don't know much about this but without sounding disrespectuful, I'm intrigued. Good Luck anyway!

Mo MO

Morning ALl,

Last night was a success , I dressed her in lighter Pj's, and turned the heat down and she only stirred once. So, THANK YOU DAVID, I got the best nights sleep in a long time.

Davidth88

Mo MO wrote: »

Morning ALl,

Last night was a success , I dressed her in lighter Pj's, and turned the heat down and she only stirred once. So, THANK YOU DAVID, I got the best nights sleep in a long time.

Glad to hear it !!!!!

I hope it keeps up .

Greystoner

It is normal and many children go through it.

As a Nanny, I looked after a child who had it, and I researched it when I was studying child psychology.Then when my 4 year old started experiencing it on and off, I recognised it straight away.

It is called 'pavor nocturnis' and is related to brain activity. It can be distressing to see. I especially get a bit freaked out by the dilated pupils, I have to avoid eye contact.

The child will have no recollection of it in the morning, but may be a bit more tired than usual, as the night terror can be very intense and involve alot of moving around and frenzied agitation.

There really is not much you can do about it, except talk in a calm comforting voice, don't try to wake them or restrain them, unless they are willing to be held. Just keep an eye out for dangers (walking into things, getting things out of drawers etc). They will eventually calm down and go back to sleep. It seems to be a 'phase' in some children, but is nothing to be alarmed about, and should pass.

It is very very rare to continue for too long (a year or more) but if it is, have a word with your GP.