How long will these Night Terrors go on???

[craftysierra]

My sons night terrors started early, well before 2. We found for him getting to bed early is essential. Also for him one late night is not bad but if you chain together very many that is what seems to trigger his. I feel for you two months is too long. I hope you find answers soon.

Sierra

[HIU8]

DD had them last January post surgery for adenoids, tonsils and tubes. The ENT told me that night terrors can be a side effect of anethesia for children (he did not mention an age). They were horrible, but only lasted 3 weeks. Two months is a long time for them to go on. I hope they end soon.

[Corie]

My oldest DS gets them several times a week...he's almost 8. His eyes are open, but he is not awake and he makes strange noises/yells, shakes, runs around. It's very unnerving.

Yes! Exactly! My son almost looks like he is possessed. He has
absolutely no clue that we are talking to him or holding him.

[Corie]

I used to have frequent nightmares as a child and night terrors as a teen. My father as well. We also both suffer from chronic migraines and I have always wondered if they are related.

We have a strong family history of migraines in my family as well.
(maternal grandfather, mother, siblings, myself)
And DS has Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome which is in the same family
as the migraine. It is sometimes called an "abdominal migraine".

I wonder if there is a connection.

[BabbyO]

My oldest DS gets them several times a week...he's almost 8. His eyes are open, but he is not awake and he makes strange noises/yells, shakes, runs around. It's very unnerving. We find that they tend to happen when he is overheated and overtired, but sometimes that doesn't seem to make a difference either. One way to help end the terror quicker is to have him go to the bathroom.

Here's a great article on it:
http://www.drgreene.com/qa/what-are-night-terrors

I don't have a lot of experience with night terrors but I used to babysit a boy, about 6 or 7 who's night terrors were exactly like the post above. I remember his parents telling me that there were times he's have them every night, then times where he'd go a month with out them. I think I'd talk to my ped or ask for a referral to a specialist if your ped doesn't know much about them.

Good luck.

[willow33]

And I find holding him makes it worse..at least for my DS. In the past we would try to hug him and comfort him, but he would fight back. We now give him his space and keep him safe until he wakes up. He never remembers anything and usually just goes back to bed.

Good luck Corie! It's upsetting as a parent to watch your child like that.

My MIL told me that my DH had these same terrors as a child and that they eventually went away as he moved into his teen years. He also suffered from major migraines as a child.

[daisymommy]

Corie~ When I did a quick Google search, a few things popped up saying migraines can be a risk factor for getting night terrors, and that it is speculated the same brain chemical comes into play.

Also, certain medications can cause night terrors--is he on any for the cyclic vomiting?

[rlu]

Corie,

I've posted in the past about DS's night terrors - going on 7 and he still has them. As other pp have said, this is too much too long. I agree with Willow33's posts (everything from the overheated and overtired to the bathroom or drinking water resolution to the inability to hold him, touching upsets him) and am hoping you find the trigger soon.

Every time DS has one (maybe once a month, depending on triggering events) he doesn't remember but as parents we can't forget our helplessness when these occur.

I hope you find answers soon.

eta: DH used to talk in his sleep (before the CPAP) and MIL walked in her sleep as a teen and since these "can" be related appears the predisposition is genetic. Also, DS's occurances happen almost always 60-70 minutes after going to sleep - once we hit the 90 minute mark we can relax. Once he had two in one night - the first about 70 minutes after going to bed (overheated by using sleeper) and then 70 minutes after putting him back to bed (not sure on trigger - still hot maybe?). The potential link to restless leg syndrome is relevant in our family as well.

[wimama]

No word of advise just sympathy. Even once knew what they were they were still scary and heart wrenching to watch.

My DS had night terrors from about 1 year old until he was 3 1/2 years old. The first few times I couldn't figure out why he was crying uncontrollably and I would check his diaper and undress him and try to figure out what was wrong. As a baby, sometimes he would literally snap out of it when I tried walking with him outside. I think it actually woke him up, he would give a little look around and then his body would relax in my arms and go to sleep. At 3 1/2 he would talk and look straight ahead, not acknowledge our presence and his cry was different than any of his normal awake crying. We would do talk about comforting things and massage his back and try to coax him to lay down again. It seemed to calm him even though he didn't really "hear" us, some part of his brain must have perceived what we were doing. DS seems to have outgrown it.

[Corie]

Corie~ When I did a quick Google search, a few things popped up saying migraines can be a risk factor for getting night terrors, and that it is speculated the same brain chemical comes into play.

Also, certain medications can cause night terrors--is he on any for the cyclic vomiting?

Yes, he takes Zofran as needed for an episode.

Thanks so much for your help! We have a doctor's appt.
on Thursday.