Anyone who has never suffered one or has not been present in such a situation could imagine that night terrors are something similar to a nightmare, only perhaps more intense. However, nothing to see. Having dreams that cause fear, discomfort or discomfort in some way, the well-known nightmares, is something frequent and natural, which can happen at all ages, from the age of two. However, what differentiates one from the other is mainly the anguish caused by a night terror that is much greater than that of a nightmare.
Children who suffer from them wake up disoriented, and may not even recognize the people around them, including their own parents. Sometimes the next day they are not able to remember what happened. They appear during the deep sleep stage, especially between the ages of four and ten, and are accompanied by screaming, sweating, and an intense feeling of terror and anguish. A situation that causes helplessness among parents, who are unable to find comfort for their child.
Night terrors do not have to be an alarm signal in and of themselves. Often they appear suddenly and, after a period, they disappear in the same way. However, in certain cases they could be an alarm signal or a consequence of some type of trauma. In case of suspicion, due to the frequency and intensity of these, the recommendation is to take the minor to a medical consultation. However, what many parents wonder is what to do during these episodes in order to help their children.
Night terrors do not in themselves pose a risk to children's health, but it is important to be careful that they are not harmed while they are immersed in them. The state of agitation in which they find themselves could cause them to fall or hit an object. Therefore, you must ensure your safety and those around you.
You also have to avoid a very frequent mistake and that is not to wake them up abruptly. Many parents, seeing their children in this state, feel the urge to wake them up as soon as possible to get them out of their night terror. However, because they are immersed in the deep phase of sleep, this is usually not such an easy task and tends to be done abruptly. Something that will cause them more anguish, especially when they wake up and see the worried face of their parents without knowing what it is due to. For this reason, the best thing will always be to try to wake them up carefully and very calmly, since those are precisely the emotions that should be transmitted to them at that moment.
