Night terrors usually happens about 2 or 3 hours after a child has fallen asleep. It occurs during the transitions from the deepest stage of non-REM sleep to lighter REM sleep, a stage where dreams occur. Usually this transition is a smooth one. But sometimes, a child becomes agitated and frightened — and that fear reaction is a night terror.
Unlike nightmares a night terror is not technically a dream, but more like a sudden reaction of fear that happens during the transition from one sleep phase to another.
How do you recognise a night terror? Your child might suddenly sit upright in bed and shout out or scream in distress. The child's breathing and heartbeat might be faster, he or she might sweat, thrash around, and act upset and scared. They just want your company, to be held and often to climb into your bed. They just want to feel safe.
Unlike nightmares, which kids often remember, kids won't have any memory of a night terror the next day because they were in deep sleep when it happened — and there are no mental images to recall.
What Causes Night Terrors?
Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system (CNS) during sleep. This may happen because the CNS (which regulates sleep and waking brain activity) is still maturing. Some kids may inherit a tendency for this over-arousal — about 80% who have night terrors have a family member who also experienced them or sleepwalking (a similar type of sleep disturbance).
Night terrors usually occur between the ages of 3 and 12, but have been reported in kids as young as 18 months. They seem to be a little more common among boys.
Coping With Night Terrors
Night Terrors are a normal part of your child’s development as they grow up. With time they will often pass on their own as the nervous system matures.
Children who wake from night terrors are likely to be disoriented and confused, and often take a long time to settle down and go back to sleep.
If you are looking for an effective tool to combat night terrors then Glow Dreaming has proven to be a very effective solution.
The medicinal grade organic essential oil has been formulated to relax the mind and body helping relieve any stress your little ones might be feeling.
The gentle Pink Noise and bubbling of the machine is soothing and relaxing. If they do wake up they quickly relax on their own, drifting back to sleep with minimal fuss.
The red LED light not only stimulates melatonin but provides a gentle red hue through the room scaring away any monsters or fears lurking in the corners of the room.
Glow Dreaming is an effective tool in helping prevent or at least relax your child after a night terror. Learn more about why by clicking HERE.
Tips for preventing night terrors:
- reduce your child's stress
- establish and stick to a bedtime routine that's simple and relaxing
- make sure your child gets enough rest
- prevent your child from becoming overtired by staying up too late
These are a few tips that may help you get through Night Terrors but if they don’t work and you want something that will make a guaranteed difference Glow Dreaming can definitely help. Below is just one example of the difference Glow Dreaming can make.
With our 28 day return policy, you have nothing to lose. Well, except the worry of sleepless nights!
You May Be Interested In...
Our Top Tips To Reduce Night Terrors
A Legacy of Failure: A New Approach to Children's Sleep
