We're pretty sure that Anna (almost 16 months) has been experiencing night terrors (not nightmares) and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this.

Couple questions... is she still in her crib? is it nightly, about the same time every night and you can't console her?

Wow! That was fast! :)

Yes, she is in her crib.

It has happened 4 times that I can remember. I can't remember the time the first night it happened. The second time was about 3 hours after going to sleep, and the other two times, within the first hour. She had the first one a couple of weeks ago, and then she had them Sat, Sun, Mon this week. None last night, TG!

No, we can't console her. If anything it makes it worse. She's just thrashing around in our arms. I told my husband it's like trying to wrestle an alligator. She's not really even crying... she's screaming like someone is cutting her legs off.

It's horrible! :blue:

Yep, been there :lol: It wasn't night terrors for us. He decided, suddenly, that he HATED his crib. It was freaking horrible!!!! We immediately moved him to our guest bed and never had another problem. Lots of kids in my playgroup were exactly the same way and it was big kid bed time. I miss the confinement of the crib, but I don't miss the screaming!

She's fine during her naps, though... and after she's done screaming, she just goes back to sleep. I'll even ask her if she wants to go in her crib, and she does her sign for "sleepy." :dunno:

Night terrors are horrible to experience.

They often happen with children who's parents or siblings experienced them.
They usually happen within the first 3 hours of going to sleep.
Children are inconsolable. They don't seem to be awake.
They are often brought on by a stressful day or a day with little or no nap.
They can also be brought on by a late meal.
A change in routine can trigger them.
They're not nightmares....it's like their body is awake and their brain isn't quite.

Try just rousing her about an hour after she goes to sleep. Not enough to wake her just enough to make her move or roll over in her sleep.

Can you tell I've researched these? My grandson (21 mos.) has them. His are usually after a day that he didn't nap well or didn't see his mother as much as usual. During his night terrors...he looks around blanky and his body tremors. My son had them and he was alway board stiff and screaming at the tops of his lungs. It can be very scary.

She's fine during her naps, though... and after she's done screaming, she just goes back to sleep. I'll even ask her if she wants to go in her crib, and she does her sign for "sleepy." :dunno:
He was fine for his naps too. It was night time -- 3-4 hours after he went to bed (with no problems -- lie him down and walk out).

My cousin's wife has night terrors. She's 25 years old. They have caused her to call her mother in the middle of the night screaming about someone in her room. She even called 911 because she thought a pizza delivery man tried to force his way into her house and rape her. The pizza guy had been at her house that night but he was at the wrong address and she told him where the right one was. Then she fell asleep and ended up calling 911 a few hours later. She said her dog bit him and he left. It was proven that the man could not have been there at the time she said he was (he was on video at the pizza place at that time and he was not bitten by a dog) and she was prosecuted for filing false charges.

I can't imagine how horrible it must be for all of you. They are probably fine for naps because they don't hit the 3 hr mark. Maybe changing where your baby sleeps, like Nocona did, will help.

I was talking to my mom about it, and I think that they probably are NT as opposed to just wanting out of the crib (although I suppose that could help :dunno: ) NT are hereditary, and she said that my niece has had similar episodes when she's been at their house overnight. My dad said it nearly scared him to death. I'll have to talk to my sister about it when I see her this weekend.

We experienced the same thing with my son Christopher when he was about 20 months old. I think is was related to the stress of having a new sibling at the time. It was so frightening to see him so upset and there was nothing we could do but hold him until he settled down again. He never seemed to remember having them if you asked him about it. They lasted for about a month or two and then went away. He hasn't experienced them since then and it has now been about a year since the last one.

Lora

Emma had a few about the same time her Dr said she was too young and NT don't happen until at least 2 (Whatever they were night terrors I know I was there with her :lol )

Anyway what I had found is that you are not suppose to wake them up, be there with them but don't wake them as if they wake up then they will remember and will likely have more but if you don't wake them they forget and are less likely to have repeat occurances.

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/ci8.asp

here is a link that may help you.

Logan has these on occasion. I still have them about twice a year. Most children will grow out of them fairly quickly though, so that's the good news. One thing to watch whenever you move out of the crib is sleepwalking and other sleep issues - there isn't necessarily a correlation, but we've discovered that Logan also sleepwalks (and I have some sleep disturbances). Lot's of hugs - it's not fun!

Kimi

Jack used to have them when he was about 18 months or so. I don't think it had anything to do with being in his crib (he's still in his crib), they stopped a few months before turning 2. He wouldn't have them nightly, but off and on every few months. They are absolutely horrible and there's nothing you can really do about them. Hugs, I know it's not easy.

Sarah, we just went through a round of these with Julian not too long ago. My mother said my brother did the same thing. Julian would just be crying - not his usual cry, but some sort of different, strange sound. He'd be thrashing and squirming in his crib with his eyes closed, and he wouldn't respond at all to me soothing or patting him. I had to pick him up and rock him to get him to settle, and sometimes that took a few minutes. It happened more than once every night for the better part of a week (one night I think it happened on five separate occasions :eek: ), and then passed as quickly as it had started. :dunno: No problems since then, but I wasn't able to identify anything in particular that might have set them off in the first place, so I have no idea when they might happen again.

Devan has them every couple of months but when she gets them she get a bunch.

This normally happens when she is out of her enviroment, and has not napped as much as she needs too.

I am not sure if this was mentioned above, but my ped gave me a good clue of knowing if it is a nightmare or a night terror

who is more upset at the end?

If it is the child then it is a nightmare

if it is the parent then it is a night terror.

What is important for me to realize is that she is still asleep when she is having these. She has no memory of them once she wakes up, but she looks like she is awake. It is almost like sleep walking. It is VERY frustrating.

Thanks so much for all of your responses. As much as I hate that any child and parent has to deal with this, it's nice to know that we're not alone.

Anna had another one last night. Her naps were early, so she was very tired at bed time. This one was much shorter though, possibly becuase I knew what it was this time, so I didn't try to hold her and comfort her. I just told her she was safe, that mommy was there, and that she could go back to sleep (even though I know she was techincally still sleeping.) Within a few minutes, she just rolled over and that was it.

It's just so horrible to watch. What could she possibly be 'dreaming' of that would make her so terrified? Are they even dreaming when it happens? I do take comfort in the fact that she doesn't remember it, but it's so awful to see that it's so real to her in that moment and there's nothing I can do to stop it. :blue:

Are they even dreaming when it happens? Not really from what I've read.
I do take comfort in the fact that she doesn't remember it, night terrors are not remembered...like sleep walking. That part of their brain is asleep.
but it's so awful to see that it's so real to her in that moment and there's nothing I can do to stop it. My daughter goes in about an hour after O has gone to sleep and gets him to shift positions in his crib. She doesn't wake him up....just gets him to move. He hasn't had one since she's been doing this. :blue: