Screams, crying spells, waking up drenched in sweat…
If your baby frequently wakes up with these complaints, you may be in trouble with a sleep disorder known as night terrors. Night terror; It is defined as one of the abnormal sleep examples in the group of sleep disorders defined as 'parasomnia'. Experts consider this terror as a more severe picture than simple nightmares in which the child wakes up from his sleep crying with fear and wakes up during the incident and remembers the incident later. What happened during the night terror is not remembered in the morning! Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. H. Neşe Sarıca says that this disease generally begins to be seen in children after the age of two, its prevalence in the society is between 2-5 percent, and it is most commonly seen in boys in the 4-12 age group. In adult periods, this rate drops to one percent.
The reason is unclear!
There is no clear reason for night terrors! Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Dr. Özlem Şireli night terror; He says that it may occur due to genetic, neurological (such as central nervous system immaturation) and psychological reasons. Of course, she adds that night terrors should not always be associated with psychological causes. However, it can be seen more frequently in children with anxious temperament characteristics, increased sensitivity after a traumatic event, and intense separation anxiety.
They do not wake up during the attack
In a typical night terror attack, the child , sitting on the bed in a very frightened way, suddenly screams, then makes small moan-like sounds and shows obvious symptoms such as fear, palpitations, rapid breathing and sweating; He can take off his clothes, make different hand and arm movements, and leave the bed and bedroom with fear, although not often. Attacks occur recurrently, usually in the first part of sleep. This usually lasts between 20 seconds and 5 minutes. Within 15 minutes at the latest, the child calms down without being fully awake and falls asleep again on his own. The child becomes disconnected from the environment during and after the attack, does not wake up even if you try to wake him up, cannot communicate, and does not remember the attack when he wakes up in the morning.
Be patient
It is important to be patient and try to protect your child during these attacks. Since children are not alert during these attacks, they can harm themselves and those around them. At this point, try to hold him as much as you can to prevent him from falling, hitting his head, or damaging his organs. Do not try to wake him up at this time. Try to keep your calm by telling yourself frequently that this situation will not lead to a serious illness. Dr. Özlem Şireli says that especially children should not have worrying conversations at this point, as they will not remember what they experienced the next day.
Is intervention necessary?
Experts for this situation, which creates distressing moments at night. He says that if there is no other problem, there is no need for treatment. However, in cases that do not improve and continue for more than 2-3 months, a child psychiatrist or child neurologist should be consulted. Although eeG findings are mostly normal, a detailed clinical evaluation and differential diagnosis of epilepsy and organic diseases of the central nervous system are required. With clarification of the diagnosis and appropriate treatment approaches, the solution may sometimes require medication. Dr. H. Joy Sarıca believes that early detection of sleep problems and finding a solution; It reminds us that it can prevent some negative consequences such as daytime sleep disorders, behavioral problems, learning difficulties and low educational success!
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