When we hear sleep challenges in babies, what immediately comes to mind are reasons like teething, overtiredness, growth spurts, and the occasional nap strikes. But if you’re hearing them scream and cry loud in their sleep only to find them half awake. This is a less discussed phenomena in children called as night terrors in babies.
This night terrors are more experienced and linked with toddlers and young children, but there are unique occurrences and times when even some babies may experience them too. This leaves a lot of parents anxious, confused, and sometimes desperate for answers. But what’s good to know is that there is available information to help understand what is really happening, helpful tools like the breastfeeding pillow for comfort, and tips on how you could support your child through this.
In this guide we’ll discuss what really are night terrors, what are their possible causes, and what could parents do to help their babies rest easier and more comfortably.
Understanding the Difference: What a Night Terror Is (and Isn’t)
First of all, it is important to understand that the night terrors that babies experience are significantly different than nightmares. Here’s a brief comparison:
Typically, nightmares happen during the REM sleep; this is the sleep stage that is associated with dreaming. If your baby experiences having a nightmare and they woke crying, they can be easily comforted and soothed back to sleep.
Compared to night terrors, this happens during the deeper stage of sleep which is the non-REM sleep. In an episode your baby can look frightened, they may also trash around or cry out loud, but they aren’t actually awake when they do this and mostly forget about the episode come the following morning.
This can somehow be worrying for parents especially for new ones, it’s a parental instinct to try and calm them down. But as stated, night terrors happen when your child is in deep sleep meaning they aren’t fully conscious when this happens and sometimes comfort couldn’t always stop this.
The Science of Sleep: What Happens During an Episode
To get to the bottom of this, it is helpful to understand how a baby sleep cycles work.
The cycle of a baby’s sleep between light sleep (REM) and deep sleep (non-REM) happens much more quickly than it is compared to adults or young children. Night terrors often occur during the time as the baby transitions between the stages of deep sleep and light sleep. Their still developing nervous system can get “stuck” in between sleep phases causing a mismatch which results to the sudden screaming, flailing of their arms or the inconsolable crying which is witnessed by parents.
It could be scary at times especially when you’re caught off guard, but these episodes aren’t really harmful. These episodes may last for about a few minutes to half an hour, but then afterwards your baby will fall back to deep sleep as if nothing had happened.
The Common Culprits: What Triggers a Night Terror
Like any other baby sleep disruptions, there are reasons behind night terrors, and they don’t just happen out of the blue. There are often triggers that could contribute to the likeness of an episode happening:
- Overtiredness – When babies are too exhausted, their sleep cycles become unstable which could cause a higher risk for sleep disruptions.
- Stress or overstimulation – Too much light, noise and even a chaotic bedtime routine can really overwhelm the baby’s nervous system which isn’t good for their sleep.
- Illness or fever – If they are feeling any physical discomfort this could make the transition in between sleep stages shakier.
- Family history – Night terrors often run in the family, this could also suggest a genetic component has considerable influence for this happening.
There are also some parents who notice that they happen during big developmental milestones like learning to walk, crawl, or talk. And just like teething and growth spurts these leaps can temporarily affect their sleep.
Who is at Risk? Age, Genetics, and Other Factors
Although night terrors are commonly experienced by toddlers, babies can still have them too. Most often they show up between the ages of 18 months old to 3 years old, but there are cases when younger infants may have experienced them too.
Other factors that make babies more susceptible to experiencing night terrors include:
- Genetics – If you or may be your partner had experienced night terrors or sleepwalking episodes as a child, your baby may be predisposed to have them as well.
- Gender – research shows that boys are slightly more prone to have episodes compared to girls.
- Temperament – babies who are highly sensitive or more easily startled may also be prone to sleep disruptions.
During the Storm: What to Do When a Night Terror Occurs
The time when night terrors happen, the common parental response is to soothe your child and it’s natural, but it doesn’t always work. Since your child isn’t fully awake, shaking them, turning the lights on, or trying to comfort them directly may have negative effects and prolong their episodes. Here are gentle reminders of what you could to alternatively:
- Stay calm. The episode isn’t harmful though it could be really distressing to watch.
- Keep them safe. If your baby thrashes or moves around a lot, make sure their sleep environment is secure and free from hard things, any loose items, blankets, or toys that could harm them.
- Avoid waking them. Don’t try to wake them up because this could cause them to be confused and disoriented which makes the episode worse.
- Wait it out. Most night terrors pass within 10 – 15 minutes, after an episode your child will usually drift back to deep sleep on their own.
If your baby sleep in your room or next to you during breast feeding, a breastfeeding pillow can help keep them feeling secured and supporting, while also maintaining a safe space around them if in case an episode breaks out.
Prevention is the Best Medicine: Creating a Sleep-Friendly Environment
The tips mentioned are helpful at most but it’s still helpful to manage them by lowering their likelihood to have an episode than it happening in the first place. Here we share some preventive steps you could also try:
- Stick to your routine. Consistent bedtime activities like, bath, feeding, lullaby, light out, can help your baby’s body relax into sleep.
- Avoid overtiredness. Try to make them take a nap or have some quiet time and calming bedtime before they turn cranky and overstimulated.
- Create a calm sleep environment. A dark quiet room with white or brown noise can help minimize sleep disruptions.
- Comfort before bed. Using a breastfeeding pillow during feeds not only helps you nurse your baby comfortably but also creates a sense of security for them.
When to Seek Help: Knowing When to Talk to a Pediatrician
Most night terror episodes resolve on their own with time, and don’t indicate anything really serious. But in case you notice the following, consulting your pediatrician is the best option:
- Episodes happen frequently like several times in a week.
- Your baby’s safety is at risk, they may be thrashing out of bed or hitting objects.
- There are other sleep concerns involved, like snoring, pauses in breathing, or restless sleep.
- Night terrors persist well beyond the toddler years.
In addition, your doctor may ask about sleep patterns, family history, or even suggest a sleep study in rare cases.
Final thoughts
Night terrors in babies could be frightening, but remember although it could be unsettling, they are pretty harmless and fade aways as your child grows. By creating a soothing environment, establishing a persistent routine, and keeping your child’s safety in mind, you can help reduce the likelihood of episodes and ensure that your baby still get the rest they need.
And through it all, supportive tools like a breastfeeding pillow can make nighttime feeds and cuddles more comfortable both for the baby and the parents as well.
While parenting is full of these unexpected challenges, with sufficient knowledge and preparation, you can easily face them with confidence even in the middle of the night.
