Research abstract

Night Terrors: What are they and what to do about them

Do you know the difference between nightmares and night terrors? Night terrors can be a traumatic thing for the unsuspecting parent to witness! What are night terrors and how can understanding them help your children? By Cepee Tabibian

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Night terrors are issues that children between the ages of three and eight can sometimes experience which parents can find quite troubling. Night terrors are different than regular nightmares and can be distinguished from regular nightmares by parents.

Night terrors can negatively affect a child’s ability to learn because they may not be well rested after having one. Key point: Scheduled awakenings may help train a child to wake up just before the night terror would generally occur.

Night terrors can be dealt with by using a few methods to make the environment safe and make the child feel more comfortable. Oftentimes, night terrors will go away on their own after the age of eight but there are times that a specialist should be consulted if your child is having night terrors.

Key takeaways

  1. Sleeping problems are more prevalent in adults, but children can also struggle with sleep disorders.
  2. Night terrors involve a form of sleep walking.
  3. Nightmares are more like a normal dream.

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Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.