Why Does Child Wake Up During Sleep?

Hello, Night terrors are frightening for a parent to witness. The child appears agitated and panicked and confused and dazed and may have his eyes open. At the beginning of the night terror, he can cry or scream. He may mumble, is often clumsy, and push a parent away. The child is unaware of what he is doing and has no memory of these events when he wakes up. He might become more upset if you attempt to calm him down. He may seem to be awake but is actually asleep. A night terror occurs within 1-2 hours after falling asleep. Duration: a few minutes to an hour. Night terrors often run in families. Can occur during naps, as well. Usually, require no treatment; however, if there is injury, violence, or serious disruption to family, then speak to his doctor. Another possibility to consider is night walking in which the child learns to need something(being rocked, fed, blanket) in order to fall asleep at bedtime. This same need can be present in order to fall back to sleep when waking during the night. When the child s needs are not readily available during the night(being held, having a parent present) prolonged night walkings can occur. Here are a few tips to reduce night walkings: - Make the bedroom the same at bedtime as it is throughout the night(lights, music). - Put your son to bed drowsy but awake. - Check on him on a schedule according to his temperament and parents tolerance for crying. The goal is for him to fall asleep independently. - Respond to the baby as usual(rocking, soothing) following nighttime awakenings. The self-soothing skills(falling asleep easily, quickly) that he develops at bedtime are likely to generalize to self-soothing during the night. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Arnold Zedd