February 7, 2024

How to Cope with Night Terrors

Night terrors are a sleep problem that is most common in children ages 2-6 (but can occur at almost any age). They occur occasionally in about 15% of young children and can last 5-30 minutes. You may see your child bolted upright in bed, crying or screaming, sometimes appearing to be awake but with no recognition of who you are.

Night terrors are a sleep problem that is most common in children ages 2-6 (but can occur at almost any age). They occur occasionally in about 15% of young children and can last 5-30 minutes. You may see your child bolted upright in bed, crying or screaming, sometimes appearing to be awake but with no recognition of who you are. Night terrors differ from nightmares in that your child is not likely to remember anything in the morning.

Because night terrors are considered normal, you do not need to seek treatment (as long as you have ruled out any underlying medical or mental health conditions). However, they are often very scary and distressing for both the children and their parents. What you can do, is identify ways to help your child cope with the stress and promote a calming sleep environment. Children who are overtired, experiencing stressful life events, or have a fever may be more likely to have night terrors.

If you catch your child in the middle of a night terror, it is suggested that you do not try to wake them out of it. This could scare them—especially because of your own stressed reaction. It is usually best to make sure they are safe (gently restrain if needed) and wait until it is over. You can provide comfort, speak softly and calmly, and help them return to sleep (in their own bed).

Steps You Can Take to Ease the Stress of Night Terrors:

Download our Guide for Families

We know that choosing a local ABA facility can be a hard decision. We’ve created an informational guide to help you understand more about the questions you should be asking while meeting with different providers.

Although we talk about our services here, our highest goal is for you to feel comfortable and knowledgeable about picking a provider that is the best fit for your needs. You are making a decision that will impact the entire trajectory of your child’s life!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The cover of the NSPT Guide for Families, which helps families to figure out the questions to ask when picking an ABA provider.

Testimonials

Why we do what we do.
Success looks different for every child... But we bet we have a story that matches your child's needs. Like James, who started with us as non-verbal and lacking the ability to initiate and maintain social interactions. Today, he can speak complete sentences, clearly state his needs, and navigate social interactions with his friends!

Contact us to get started

  • 1
    Submit an inquiry form
    Completing this secure form helps us understand how we can serve you.
  • 2
    We'll reach out to you!
    One of our dedicated team members will connect with you to discuss services, your insurance benefits, and your family’s needs.
  • 3
    Paperwork & insurance
    We'll review and confirm your insurance benefits, and we'll work with you to gather additional paperwork required and discuss financial expectations based on insurance.
  • 4
    Treatment personalization
    We'll schedule an assessment date for your child with one of our clinicians. This assessment will serve as the basis for your child’s personalized treatment plan. After, we'll meet to discuss recommendations and your child’s treatment plan and start date.
  • 5
    Start making progress!
    We will greet and welcome your child to our warm and supportive environment where our staff will provide 1-on-1 care to meet our treatment goals.