After a couple months of good sleep in our house, a new round of sleep issues has emerged. Just when I thought having two kids who sleep through the night meant I was in the clear, Preschool Boy has a couple habits that are a tad troublesome: Night Terrors and coming into our bed at night (which I’ll post about later).
Night Terrors
Now that Preschool Boy has pretty much given up the nap (UGH!), he goes to bed quite easily around 7:30. Several nights a week he “wakes up” crying an hour or two after going to bed. He’s not really awake even though he’s sitting up, or even walking out of his room, but he is crying uncontrollably and sometimes calling out for me or my husband.
The first couple times it happened, I got totally freaked out because he wouldn’t talk or respond to me and just kind of starred into space sobbing. I asked him repeatedly, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” and was totally weirded out that he just sat there crying and didn’t answer me. After this happened a couple times, I figured the best approach is to ignore him until he falls back asleep or go to him and lay him back down in his bed. He’s had episodes like this the past couple of nights and while I’m used to it, it has my husband a little worried.
Night Terrors Defined
Following a couple quick searches on the internet, I’m pretty sure he’s having Night Terrors. From WebMD,
The sleep disorder of night terrors typically occurs in children aged 3-12 years, with a peak onset in children aged 3½ years.
… Night terrors occur during the transition from stage 3 non-REM sleep to stage 4 non-REM sleep, beginning approximately 90 minutes after the child falls asleep.
Night terrors are distinctly different from the much more common nightmares, which occur during REM sleep. Night terrors are characterized by frequent recurrent episodes of intense crying and fear during sleep, with difficulty arousing the child. Night terrors are frightening episodes that disrupt family life.
An estimated 1-6% of children experience night terrors. Boys and girls are equally affected. Children of all races also seem to be affected equally. The disorder usually resolves during adolescence.
My son recently turned 3 so he’s a few months shy of the “peak onset” and, dear god, I hope we have some resolution before he’s an adolescent! It goes on to say that children may have an episode or two a week for several weeks. But, this has been going on for longer than a couple weeks – and he cries nearly every night. I’m also surprised by the low percentage of children who suffer night terrors. Does that mean what he’s doing isn’t really a Night Terror, or is it really that uncommon?
Night Terror Causes
The description and age seem right on, but the causes suggested by WebMD don’t really fit:
- Stressful life events
- Fever
- Sleep deprivation
- Medications that affect the central nervous system (the brain)
I know he’s getting a tad less total sleep without napping, but I don’t think 12 hours of sleep a night is really sleep deprivation. He’s not sick or taking medication, and he’s had no stressful life events. I hate to think that his sleep is being disrupted because my 3 year old is feeling stress. Poor thing.
From what I’ve read, there’s not much anyone can do – and I wouldn’t expect there to be a quick fix. Honestly, I haven’t really been that worried or concerned about it, but my husband started to get a little freaked out last night by some of the information we found.
Does your child have Night Terrors? And if so, what is an episode like and how long do they last? Does it sound like what I’m describing? Have you talked to your pediatrician?
Livie & Luca
We received a pair of the 
Did you know 
I think the O Yuck and O Yum bibs are too cute, too.
A Comfortable Home
Our experience with Global Resort Homes was nearly flawless. And, in Orlando where location and proximity to the attractions is key, Global Resort Homes has an assortment of properties near Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal. From 2-bedroom condominiums to spacious 7-bedroom homes, Global Resort Home properties are located in resort communities that offer added benefits and amenities to enhance the experience.
I have this ongoing issue when shopping for new baby presents: do I give something cute, unique and not as practical or something purely functional that’s really not fun? I get really excited when I come across a product that actually falls into both categories, like the Baby Bunch. Designed by a husband and wife team specifically to combat the bland baby gift, the 
She will certainly be able to wear it for some time. I had a bit of trouble getting the hat to go back to the proper shape after washing it. But once I sat and played with it for a few minutes, I got it back to the right shape.
Started by a mother-daughter team to provide parents with great handmade products, Tiny Wiggles has a variety of innovative accessories for babies, toddlers and mamas. With everything from Blankets to Wash Mitts to Crayon Rolls, 
Toddler Bib Review
Great Gifts
The first time I saw 
Join 23,193 fellow moms
2,050 readers
14,812 followers
6,331 fans