I think Aurelia had a night terror tonight, she woke up crying and howled and howled for about 45 minutes. In that time, she was thrashing about in my arms, arching her back and kicking her legs and things. Her eyes were mostly closed but did open as well, she was rubbing them almost the whole time, and wouldn't make direct eye-contact. Eventually she started sipping boobymilk and eventually just settled back to sleep in my arms.
Was this a night terror and what can I do about it if it happens again? I used to get them at this age as well and I know exP has parasomnias, as do I. Help?
It certainly sounds like a night terror. DS used to get them from between around 8 monhts- 14 months age. Once they are in the midst of a terror episode there is nothing you can really do except put them somewhere safe eg on the floor surrounded by pillows. They can hurt you if you hold them in your arms and they can hurt themselves if left in a cot. I used to get told that it is best not to try and wake them just let them finish the terror as horrible as it is for you.
The only advice in relation to stopping them is if you see a pattern emerge where they tend to have the terror at a similar time each night. If that is the case then you can wake them before the terror is due to happen and therefore break the sleep cycle. Eg if they happen around 11pm then wake them at 10.45, and by wake I mean fully awake, take them out of the bedroom, wake them up, keep them awake for at least 15 mins and then resettle. That in itself can be painful as no child likes being woken from their sleep. But it could eliminate the night terrors.
Good luck with it all, hopefully she wont get too many more. I am sure that I have seen some other threads recently about this too.
Good idea, i'll give that a go if a pattern emerges. She didn't have one last night so no pattern yet. I think she's had one before actually some months ago.
Night terrors
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But it could eliminate the night terrors.
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