Women Helping Women in Addictions
Children's Health
Children Night Terrors!
May 7th
I have a soft spot in my heart for parents who are trying to find the answers for their children and their “Night Terrors”. I too was a parent of a nine year old child suffering from night terrors from the age of nine to twelve years of age. The night terrors started slowly from 5-10 minutes long then increased to 15-30 minutes each episode, sometimes two night terrors a night. The night terrors persist one to three times a week, the minutes per episode also increased to 20-30 minutes.
It started with nightmare symptoms, waking up screaming, saying a monster was chasing him, My routine would be to lie in bed with him talking and cuddling him back to sleep. The nightmares started to change to night terrors, he could not be comforted any longer. He would be wide eyed, jump out of bed and walk around the room mumbling on “get away, stop, go away”. Then there would be nights he would not speak, just cry and cry. He would have no recollection of his night terrors. During the earlier stages of his night terrors he had no recollections but the last stages of his night terrors he was beginning to have some memory with a sense of fear.
It was the last year of his night terrors which became more frightening to me because of his symptoms and the duration of his night terrors. His terrors would last 30 minutes, he was extremely agitated and verbal during the episodes. Many of his episodes had a look of fear and panic, and he let out a ‘blood curdling scream’, “YOU CAN’T HAVE ME”. His screams never changed “Someone is after me- I have to get away from him- you don’t understand- he can’t have me”. He would be screaming this over and over, and when asked who was after him, his reply would be “You don’t understand – I don’t want to die”. By then he was walking faster and faster from one end of the hallway to the other back and forth, as though he was running from someone. He would run throughout the house yelling, screaming “I am not ready to die”.
I would try to comfort him by holding him, his heart rate was rapid it seemed as thought his heart could jump out. He would be sweating profusely, fidgeting trying to get free from me, and yelling “he is after me, I have to get away”. He panic with fear, screaming, sweating, and walking throughout the house a full 20-30 minutes. I would be helpless, crying and just trying to comfort my son in helping him out of these night terrors.
My worst night terror experience was seeing my little boy tucked into the corner crying and screaming “I can’t take this any longer, I can’t take this any longer”. I had tried numerous times to get him to a doctor, and counselling. He would lock himself into the bathroom, and refuse therapy of any sort. He would say over and over “I am not crazy”.
It was soon after my becoming a hypnotherapist, that I had my son have a session with my instructor. It was not until after his two hour session that my son was completely rid of his Night Terrors. My son is a healthy young man today with only one side affect from his years of Night Terrors. He has difficulty sleeping in his bedroom, he usually sleeps in the front room with the television on. He is now living on his own working and going to school for his degree in computer drafting design -Night Terror Free.
Night Terrors in Adults and Children
May 6th
Night terrors in adults and children are interrupted sleep cycle of fear and panic. Night terrors, also known as sleep terrors, are not nightmares. The difference between nightmares and night terrors is that the nightmare occurs mainly during REM sleep and the night terror happens during non-REM sleep, usually after the first hour going to sleep. Most nightmares and dreams happen during the latter part of the sleep cycle.
Night terror symptoms in adults and children are similar, the person wakes up in a state of fear and agitation. Night terrors also known as sleep terrors can last 15 to 30 minutes. Usually the person has no knowledge of the night terror episode, however, others have reported from memory their night terrors.
Night Terrors are sleep disorders which affect adults, children and adolescents in different ways. Some adolescents grow out of night terrors as others will endure them most of their lives. Research studies stress that adult night terrors are less common than in children night terrors. There seems to be a large community of adults, suffering from night terrors, who would differ with the studies. Many adults are using the websites for support and help for finding answers in stopping their night terrors. Many of them have not sought professional help due to their embarrassment and not wanting to be labeled as crazy.
Adults and their family members report mild to extreme symptoms during night terror episodes. Besides symptoms of sweating, rapid heart rate, scared, confused, panicky, screaming, and crying some have night terror accidents. Night terror accidents range from bruises and cuts to jumping out of windows, breaking limbs, and other injuries while experiencing a night terror.
Night terror sufferers are looking at the triggers that may bring on their episodes. Triggers are bedtime schedules, over-tiredness, sleeping patterns, meals, drinking, stress, and other lifestyle changes. Some adults have sought psychotherapy, and other professional help and found the night terror episodes at a decline. Others have looked into homeopathy and other alternative therapies for the answers. I myself have found hypnotherapy as the answer in stopping my son’s night terrors.