Waking up to a screaming child can be traumatizing. Your heart races as you try to figure out what’s going on and then it’s gone as quickly as it comes. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between a full blown night terror and just a regular nightmare. Here are some tips to tell the difference and how to respond when dealing with them.
Night terrors usually happen within the first hour or two of sleep, while nightmares tend to happen much later at night, during the second half of sleep. During a night terror your child’s eyes may be open, but don’t be mistaken, he isn’t awake. In fact, it is nearly impossible to wake a child in the middle of a night terror. If you try to reach out and comfort them they may even become more agitated. It is best to wait out the episode and let them lay back down on their own. They usually don’t last long and your child won’t even be able to recall the event in the morning.
If your child is having a nightmare, on the other hand, it is better to wake your child and try to comfort them. Waking them ends the nightmare at once. Nightmares typically stem from life events and the fears your child is trying to cope with. If something traumatic, such as a divorce, has happened recently it isn’t uncommon for children to experience nightmares about the situation. If this is the case, try to calm your child’s fears. Talk things through with them and be sure to comfort them before they go to sleep. If the nightmares are recurring talk to your child’s pediatrician, she may be able to give you some good ideas to help your child cope with them so that everyone can start to sleep again.