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What Causes Night Terrors In A Child?

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Posted on Sat, 10 Dec 2016
Question: my 4 year old daughter is having irregular sleep from past few days. her sleeping time is fix and room is kept dark. each night,For first 2-3 hours she has deep sleep after that she wakes up now and then ,sometime scared and sometime crying.
Her behavior remains normal in the morning when she wakes up and through out the day she remains very active. Infact teacher terms her as a hyper active child.
What could be the possible reason for this irregular sleep pattern and possible solutions for the same ??
doctor
Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Often seen at this age. Not a cause for concern

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone through your query and understand your concern. The phenomenon that your child is having is called night terror or sleep terror, an episode of which usually lasts from seconds to a few minutes, but they may last longer. Sleep terrors are relatively rare and affect only a small percentage of children of ages between ages 4 and 12. However frightening, sleep terrors aren't usually a cause for concern. Most children outgrow sleep terrors by their teenage years.

Sleep terrors may require treatment only if they cause problems getting enough sleep or they pose a safety risk.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Diptanshu Das

Pediatrician

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 3877 Questions

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What Causes Night Terrors In A Child?

Brief Answer: Often seen at this age. Not a cause for concern Detailed Answer: Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic. I have gone through your query and understand your concern. The phenomenon that your child is having is called night terror or sleep terror, an episode of which usually lasts from seconds to a few minutes, but they may last longer. Sleep terrors are relatively rare and affect only a small percentage of children of ages between ages 4 and 12. However frightening, sleep terrors aren't usually a cause for concern. Most children outgrow sleep terrors by their teenage years. Sleep terrors may require treatment only if they cause problems getting enough sleep or they pose a safety risk. Let me know if I could help further. Regards