Is this a night terror? Anyone else experience this?

leslie&brian

This has occurred twice now, including last night. Matt will wake up, screaming hysterically, to the point that he is nearly hyperventilating. His eyes will be open, and he'll be standing in the back corner of his crib.

When we go in his room, during one of these episodes, he doesn't calm down (which in normal circumstances he calms right down when he sees me or DH). If we try to pick him up, he'll really fight us, and scream louder.

The last time it happened, it scared be so badly, that I picked him up and he start running around in circles and was pushing me. After about 10 minutes, he snapped out of it, and was back to his normal self. He doesn't fall back asleep after these episodes. 

It's really scary witnessing this.  I don't want to unnecessarily freak out, but I don't want to overlook a more serious issue.

krissyh21

Dillon experienced this a couple of times and it is scary. He hasn't had one in a while but he had a couple of them within a few days of each other. From what I usnderstand, it is a night terror.

oct11bride03

I think it's a night terror.

I haven't seen K with one because my husband just happened to be the one who's gone in the few times she's had them. He says he tries to soothe her but not touch her. 

leslie&brian

I didn't touch him this time. I did the first time, because it freaked me out, and I didn't know what was happening. I researched night terrors, and read that you aren't to touch them, because it can scare them more. Being a parent is hard!

Soon2beMrs.Sivert

One of my dd does this. It's been awhile. But she'll wake up screaming like she's seriously hurt. It startles us and we rush into her room. Only in her case her eyes closed and we have to turn on the light make noise and really wake her up, then and only then, can we begin the calm down process for her. She would scream until she threw up too, even with us holding her. It is super scary. I'm sorry you are going through it. I don't have advice because we never went to the doctor about it and it seems to have been awhile since her last episode. I have no idea what may or may not have triggered it. 

leslie&brian

Soon2beMrs.Sivert:

One of my dd does this. It's been awhile. But she'll wake up screaming like she's seriously hurt. It startles us and we rush into her room. Only in her case her eyes closed and we have to turn on the light make noise and really wake her up, then and only then, can we begin the calm down process for her. She would scream until she threw up too, even with us holding her. It is super scary. I'm sorry you are going through it. I don't have advice because we never went to the doctor about it and it seems to have been awhile since her last episode. I have no idea what may or may not have triggered it. 

That's so sad that she screams until she throws up  

GuitaristsGirl

That sounds similar to what we experienced with DS and, yes, people on here suggested that it was a night terror, and our pedi confirmed that it sounded like one.  DS's occured almost every night for a week - it was such a scary time!  But then they just . . . stopped!

Fingers crossed for you that it's just a phase that passes quickly.  It is so scary. 

Soon2beMrs.Sivert

leslie&brian:

Soon2beMrs.Sivert:

One of my dd does this. It's been awhile. But she'll wake up screaming like she's seriously hurt. It startles us and we rush into her room. Only in her case her eyes closed and we have to turn on the light make noise and really wake her up, then and only then, can we begin the calm down process for her. She would scream until she threw up too, even with us holding her. It is super scary. I'm sorry you are going through it. I don't have advice because we never went to the doctor about it and it seems to have been awhile since her last episode. I have no idea what may or may not have triggered it. 

That's so sad that she screams until she throws up  

It is. That's pretty much why we never did any sleep training here. We had talked to her talked to her doctor about how worked up she can get and he said to watch it because kids who do that have a tendency to hold their breathe when they get older. 

leslie&brian

GuitaristsGirl:

That sounds similar to what we experienced with DS and, yes, people on here suggested that it was a night terror, and our pedi confirmed that it sounded like one.  DS's occured almost every night for a week - it was such a scary time!  But then they just . . . stopped!

Fingers crossed for you that it's just a phase that passes quickly.  It is so scary. 

I'm glad to hear that they stopped for your DS. It's only happened to Matt twice, and both times, it was a couple days after we got home from OOT. He doesn't sleep well at my parents (usually refuses to nap because he doesn't want to miss any "excitement"), and I read that night terrors can be caused by sleep deprivation. I wonder if that is what is going on. I'll give his pedi a call just to be on the safe side.