Night Terrors

**Jenn** · #1 June 30th, 2009, 09:36 PM

My poor little Lochy has been having night terrors. There is a history of them on dh's side (dh had them, fil and his brother had them) and dh will still have "episodes" every once in a while. So I knew this was hereditary and Liam seems to have escaped them but my poor little Lochy has not. There's really not anything we can do but ride it out with him, it just breaks my heart to see him like that. I'd say it happens a few times a week, not every night, and some nights more than once. He just had one about an hour ago and it took a good 15 minutes to get him "back to sleep." The good thing about night terrors is that he has no clue about them himself. He has been more fearful going to bed the past couple nights though and will keep trying to climb in with Liam. Last night was a bad night and I ended up having to sleep with him in his bed. Poor little guy.

Here's one of the many sites that explains it if anyone is interested in what it actually is:
Night Terrors

#2 June 30th, 2009, 09:44 PM

Jenn, what does he actually do during them?

**Jenn** · #3 June 30th, 2009, 10:12 PM

He starts screaming, thrashing around in his bed, sweating, heart racing... He never actually wakes up, even if his eyes are open he's not awake. He doesn't recognize me or know who I am unless he actually wakes up. Sometimes it stops as quickly as it starts and other times it's several minutes to try and calm him down. He's inconsolable until he either wakes up or drops back off on his own. All I can do is be there and hold him, rub his back, and talk soothingly to him. Tonight he did end up waking up and fell back asleep quickly as I rocked him in my arms. One night Ian went in during one and he said Loch was clawing at the walls and screaming and crying. It's completely out of the blue, all will be quiet and then he is just screaming. It's scary because he's so scared and I can't really do anything for him. What a thing for dh to pass down.

#4 June 30th, 2009, 10:27 PM

Bless him

It must be hard to see.

Resi · #5 July 1st, 2009, 06:10 AM

I have had those in the past too! It's so scary. It happens on rare occasion for me but when it does it's a little traumatizing. I will freak out thinking there are bugs in the bed or one time it was frogs. It feels SO real at the time. The next day it's very hard to remember. I use to sleep walk when I was a kid too. Luckly I grew out of that. I think a lot of what triggers both for me is/was stress.

Poor Lochy. I feel for him.

HopeWishWait · #6 July 1st, 2009, 06:18 AM

Poor Lochy

I can't imagine how hard it is to see him like that and have nothing you can do about it.

Mod-LadyCoconut · #7 July 1st, 2009, 06:42 AM

That must be so rough to have to watch and try to soothe him through. It's great though that they don't realize they're having them and will outgrow it eventually. How scary to watch though!

Mars · #8 July 1st, 2009, 07:09 AM

Poor little guy! That sounds heartbreaking to see. (((HUGS)))

*Mrs.J.2011* · #9 July 1st, 2009, 07:31 AM

My little brother used to go through exactly what you are describing! I know for everyone its different, but we found a solution! We realized that even tho he was sweating, his body temp was dropping very low (even in the middle of a heat wave) Once we figured this out, he started sleeping with a shirt on. He has now been night terror free for 6 years (he is 14 now)!

~Jess~ · #10 July 1st, 2009, 07:54 AM

Ethan gets them too. But not that often, maybe once every 2 weeks or so. They are awful.

..Christine.. · #11 July 1st, 2009, 10:53 AM

I have them really bad! They were worse before I got preg and in my 1st trimster but it was to the point to where it was getting in the way of things- They were so bad that I was so scared and my heart was racing so hard- that it scared me! My husband had to deal w/ me while I was having one! It was always either snakes, spiders or someone in the room! I would turn on lights-open windows and scream for help! I would wake up sweating and my heart would be pounding. I almost never remembered exactly what happened the next day but I HATE them....I have not found a cure- or treatment.........I'm sorry your son is going through them!!

.Brandi. · #12 July 1st, 2009, 11:04 AM

Oh, poor little guy!!! I used to have them too!!! They are HORRIBLE!!! I believe Edward had them as an infant, and does occasionally, but not as bad. My heart goes out to you and him!!! Hugs to both of you!!!

**Jenn** · #13 July 1st, 2009, 11:25 AM

Yeah, they're not fun but I know its not terribly uncommon either. I think they said something like 15% of children will have them. And of course Loch is too little to tell me if he remembers anything. DH used to get them all the time the first several years we were together so I'm kinda used to dealing with it. For the past few years though his have been few and far between. But now of course Lochy has started up with them. Thankfully Liam is a super heavy sleeper and Lochy's screams don't even phase him.

~*Bethy*~ · #14 July 2nd, 2009, 08:00 AM

Oh Jenn!!!!!!!! Morgan has the same thing!!! It used to happen every night around the same time, 12:15ish. She would kick, thrash, scream, scratch, hit, punch - you name it she did it. Her eyes would be open, looking RIGHT AT ME and all she could say was "MOMMA NOOOOO" inbetween sobbing. She was never awake during them, thats whats creepy. I would go in there and she didnt even know who I was, screaming nooooo, nooooo, noooooo. Its very heartbreaking to watch. Uhhhhg, thinking about it makes me want to cry. She still has them about once a week. I dread them....

...I also think hers are triggered by some entities we have in the apartment....she sees them and so do I....

~Beth