*~*Night Terrors*~* How to get back to sleep!
Apr 03 '04
The Bottom Line Night Terrors are a sleeping disorder and there are real solutions that work.....
I awoke to find her damp warm hands grasping my shirt so tight I nearly choked. Before I could get out of bed and hit the light, she began hitting me furiously. I grabbed her hands and her body began to shake uncontrollably, the harder I tried to control her the harder she fought to get away. Screams pierced the quite evening air and her body fell limp. I sat awake in the dark shaking. What had just happened?
My child has night terrors.
Night terrors are not nightmares, They are characterized as a (1) sudden arousal from slow wave sleep with a piercing scream or cry, accompanied by autonomic (Controlled by the part of the nervous system that regulates motor functions of the heart, lungs, etc.) and behavioral manifestations of intense fear. Also known as Pavor Nocturnus, incubus, severe autonomic discharge, sleep terror.
My child has had these episodes since she was 2 years old. They have become more frequent and the fear has become more intense for both her & I.
She will not sleep alone, and is afraid to sleep at all.
She rarely remembers these "episodes," if at all she thinks she was dreaming.
Most Drs. that specialize in sleep disorders say that night terrors start as early as 1 year and can last into adulthood, but it is very uncommon. Only 1% of the population over the age of 5 years suffers from night terrors.
Researchers believe that night terrors occur due to a lack of sleep, sleep disruption, or an as a result of a stressful event. However, it is also noted by researchers that night terrors can be hereditary, passed down from generation to generation.
What I have found through research and speaking with my child's pediatrician is that most parents do not know how to react when they occur and make the terrors worse by trying to arouse their children.
Holding them down, trying to restrain them can only make things worse. The best thing to do is clear the room of any object that could harm your child or enable your child to harm others. If your child sleeps upstairs make certain there is a gate atop of the stairs to keep them safe. Remove all sharp objects from their room. So what can you do?
A lot of Doctors have found it helpful to wake the child 5 minutes prior to when these night terrors generally occur. After observing your child for a few months of these episodes you notice that they occur approximately the same time every night during sleep, generally in phase 4 sleep. This is when the brain is usually in a state of very deep sleep.
These terrors can last anywhere from one minute up to an hour. Making it even more terrifying for the parent. THESE ARE NOT NIGHTMARES. Nightmares occur in nRem sleep and the person having the nightmare can be aroused from sleep whereas the person experiencing night terrors is almost catatonic and cannot be aroused although they may seem to be awake and conscious.
These terrors are certainly more frightening for the parent than the child, since there is rarely a recollection of these sleep interruptions. I know the first year I would hover over her awaiting any type of erratic movement that would lead me to believe one was occurring. She would cry out for "momma" and I was right there and although I tried to reassure her and let her know it was me that was holding her, she fought me harder and harder until I eventually gave up and let her go.
Once morning she told me she had a "dream" that she was being chased and was calling for me but I wasn't there. I told her she was not having a dream, that she was in fact being chased by ME! She dismissed this as quickly as she fell back into deep sleep after a terror.
At my wits end I called her doctor and got an emergency appointment. Plagued with little sleep and frustration we went in for a diagnosis we thought would be medical.
These terrors are not a symptom of a psychological disorder as we thought, only a sleep disorder. Treatments vary depending on the severity.
(2)Treatment usually involves trying to avoid letting the child get over-tired, and trying to keep the wake/sleep schedule as regular as possible. When an event does occur, do not try to wake the child -- not because it is dangerous, but because it will tend to prolong the event. It is generally best not to hold or restrain the child, since her subjective experience is one of being held or restrained; she would likely arch her back and struggle all the more. Instead, try to relax and to verbally comfort the child if possible. Speak slowly, soothingly, and repetitively. Turning on the lights may also be calming. Protect your child from injury by moving furniture and standing between him or her and windows.
Antidepressants & anti-anxiety medications work on severe cases.
Our pediatrician recommended waking her to disturb her sleep cycle. Also a dose of children's Benedryl for a few nights has also been successful in interrupting this sometimes short/sometimes long occurrence. Since my child's physician has a child with night terrors she was able to give me first hand information on how she dealt with her child.
Routine is also very important. Naps and a set bed time at the same time every night is essential, especially for younger children.
Taking a bath, reading a book, calm activities before sleep can also help lessen the frequency of night terrors.
The good news is night terrors rarely last, as most cases are infrequent spurts of terrors that occur one week and are gone the next.
We live in a society that encourages more productivity, from children, adolescents and adults. We should take more time to analyze our sleep habits and take steps to ensure everyone in the family has a good nights sleep.
I know that for us, in the two months that she was given a diagnosis of "Night Terrors" and the little tips my pedi shared has worked wonders. The entire family is no longer awaken at 2 am by her screams. She sleeps peacefully through the night.
It took one solid week of giving her nighttime cold medicine for children (luckily she happened to have a head cold) & then another week of me waking her at 1am to go to the bathroom to which she returned back to bed and fell asleep quickly, but its worked for now. We haven't been disturbed once in the middle of the night.
There is the threat f them coming back, but I don't worry now that I know what precautions to take and what to do.
Just by arming yourself with information can really ease your mind, if not rid you of the problem completely. Do not be afraid to discuss these problems with your child's doctor. They are more common than you may realize and there are real solutions to night terrors may they be slight or severe.
References:
(1) Diagnostic Classification Steering Committee, Thorpy MJ, Chairman. International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnostic and Coding Manual. Rochester, Minnesota: American Sleep Disorders Association, 1990. Kryger, Meir H., Roth, Thomas, Dement, William C. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: W.B. Saunders Company, 1994.
(2) Alan Greene MD FAAP
© MM 2004
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
maggsmomm
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Jana Psshh
Location: I STILL have no idea where I am.......
Reviews written: 490
Trusted by: 418 members
About Me:
Okay, I admit it; I've got nothing....
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.