Night Terrors Are Nothing To Fear

Despite all efforts parents might take to avoid this, some children not only wake up at night between 11 pm and 1 am, they might also cry or scream and resist comforting – while remaining asleep and difficult to awaken. These “night terrors” in children, also known as “sleep terrors” or “pavor nocturnus”, can be very unsettling for parents, especially when they happen for the first time. Despite seeming to be a relatively recent phenomenon, “they have always existed,” says paediatrician and sleep expert Herbert Renz-Polster, speaking from personal experience. “My twin brother had night terrors, which was very worrisome for my parents,” he recalls. It was as if his brother was “stuck in a certain sleep phase” without anyone being able to help him. “Some children experience sleep terrors only once, others more frequently, and they occur most commonly between the ages of two-and-a-half and five years, being rarer among school children.” The paediatrician cautions parents not to interpret them as a psychic phenomenon; some children are simply so inclined. “They are part of normal development and do not represent a health risk.” He suggests that parents don’t panic, but stay next to their child and provide a kind of “protective shield around them.” In this situation as well, parents need to give their child the message that “It’s okay, you are okay and we are with you. You are safe.”