Night Terrors in Kids: What Every Parent Should Know

What Are Night Terrors?

Night terrors—also known as sleep terrors—are a type of parasomnia, which is a category of unusual behaviours that happen during sleep. Unlike nightmares, which occur during REM (dream) sleep and are often remembered the next day, night terrors happen during deep non-REM sleep, typically within the first few hours of falling asleep.

During a night terror, a child might suddenly sit upright in bed, scream, cry, breathe heavily, thrash about, or even try to run. Their eyes may be open, but they’re not truly awake. In fact, trying to wake them up can make the episode worse.

Episodes can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 15 minutes and usually end with the child returning to a deep sleep, with no memory of the event.

What Causes Night Terrors in Children?

Night terrors are more common in children than adults and often appear between the ages of 3 and 7. Several factors can contribute to their occurrence:

• Overtiredness or lack of sleep

• Stress or anxiety

• Fever or illness

• Sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings

• Certain medications

• Family history of parasomnias (like sleepwalking or night terrors)

• Disrupted sleep schedules or sudden changes to routine
  
  

Essentially, anything that interferes with a child’s sleep cycle or causes excessive fatigue can increase the likelihood of night terrors.

How Are Night Terrors Different from Nightmares?

This is a question many parents ask—and the distinction is important:

Should I Wake My Child During a Night Terror?

No—waking a child in the middle of a night terror can cause more confusion and distress. It can prolong the episode and make it harder to settle afterwards. Instead, stay close to ensure they’re safe and gently guide them back to bed if they get up.

Make sure the sleep environment is hazard-free: no sharp edges, blocked pathways, or bunk beds that could pose a fall risk.

How to Help a Child with Night Terrors

There’s no guaranteed way to stop night terrors entirely, but you can reduce their frequency and intensity by focusing on sleep hygiene, routine, and emotional well-being.

• Establish a calming bedtime routine: A consistent, gentle wind-down each night—think warm bath, story time, soft lighting—helps signal the body and brain that it’s time to rest. Avoid screens and stimulating activities in the hour before bed.

• Ensure enough sleep: Overtiredness is one of the biggest triggers. Make sure your child is getting the right amount of sleep for their age group.

• Try a relaxing routine: Introduce elements like gentle music, lavender pillow spray, or a few minutes of deep breathing or bedtime yoga to help the body relax further.

• Keep a sleep diary: Track when night terrors happen, along with details like daily activities, emotional ups and downs, meals, bedtime, and wake time. Patterns often emerge that can help identify triggers—such as certain foods, late nights, or stressful days.

• Manage daytime stress: Talk through any worries your child may have, especially after big changes like starting school, a family move, or new sibling arrival. Help them name and normalise their feelings so those emotions don’t bottle up and surface at night.

• Limit screen time before bed: Screens interfere with melatonin production and can overstimulate the brain, making it harder to settle into deep sleep.

• Create a sleep-friendly environment: A cool, quiet, and clutter-free bedroom helps support better quality sleep.

• Consider scheduled awakenings: If night terrors tend to happen at the same time each night, try gently waking your child 15–30 minutes before to disrupt the sleep cycle. Let them fall back asleep naturally.

When to See a Doctor

Occasional night terrors are usually nothing to worry about. But if they:

• Happen multiple times a week

• Lead to injury (falling out of bed, running into furniture)

• Disrupt the whole family’s sleep on a regular basis

• Are accompanied by other symptoms like sleepwalking or snoring
  
  

…then it’s a good idea to talk to your GP or a sleep specialist. In some cases, they may recommend further evaluation to rule out underlying sleep disorders or stress-related conditions.

Will They Grow Out of It?

Yes—most children outgrow night terrors by the time they reach adolescence. Their nervous systems mature, sleep cycles stabilise, and the episodes become less frequent or disappear altogether.

In the meantime, remind yourself: it may look and sound scary, but your child isn’t in pain, and they won’t remember it. With a little patience, reassurance, and a steady bedtime routine, the nights will get easier—for both of you.