How to Deal With Night Terrors in Toddlers
If you are a parent with a small child, there might be times in your life when you wake up to the screams of your child. Once you run towards the toddler he/she would be sitting up in bed, screaming and crying. Parents don’t really like this and it’s a scary sight for them. Even if your child forgets about the dream after a few days, at that particular moment you, as a parent, have to go through a lot. In case you try to make your child get up or calm him/her down, it makes things worse for them. However, here is a list of things you can do to handle such a situation better when you face it the next time.
Instructions
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1
You must understand how nightmares and night terrors are two different things which are experienced by toddlers. In case your child is up, it means that he/she experienced a nightmare. A night terror is when the child is non-responsive. Your child is not supposed to remember the event once an episode of night terror is over.
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2
Make sure that if your child is experiencing night terrors, he/she is safe. You must understand that they should not have any sharp objects around them. Your child might hurt himself/herself, or even someone who is around them. Therefore, keep the doors and windows locked if you think he/she moves around.
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3
Understand the fact that there is nothing you can do to calm your child down except keeping him/her safe. It’s different from a nightmare and you should totally absorb this fact before you try to experience this sight on a daily basis.
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4
While your child is experiencing a night terror, make sure you do not do anything that will make them push you away. Don’t try to hold them down. If you try to talk to the child about this, there is a possibility that he/she might become more aggravated. Mostly, night terrors last for a few minutes.
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5
There is a high possibility that your child will experience a night terror during the first half of the night. Time your child’s terrors on a daily basis and fifteen minutes before your child is about to scream, wake him/her up. Do it for a few nights and see the results.
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6
Try to give your child a bath in the morning rather than in the night. Keep him/her calm before bedtime, but don’t give them a bath as it can be an unwanted added stimulus before bedtime.
