Most parents have encountered sudden screaming and crying from their child during sleep. This can be exhausting and worrying. Since this occurrence reduces the quality of life for parents and concerns them, it is advisable to consult specialists. If nighttime crying is not caused by a neurological problem, it is very likely due to bad habits, stress, disrupted sleep, or insufficient sleep quality.
Night crying can also occur in children who already have an established sleeping routine. It is possible that the child wakes up more frequently and cries dramatically. According to pediatricians, this is a very common occurrence. If it is determined that the nighttime waking is not psychological in nature, we can conclude that the causes may be nightmares or night terrors. When discussing these problems, it is important to know that they are not the same and differ from each other.
Nightmares or bad dreams occur in preschool-aged children. They are realistic and mostly happen in the second half of sleep, usually before dawn. In such situations, parents need to calm the child because some children will not be able to continue sleeping. Unlike nightmares, night terrors occur within the first 90 minutes of sleep. The child wakes up screaming or crying, with uncontrolled movements of the arms and legs. The child may get out of bed and walk around the room, sweat, and have a rapid heartbeat. This state can last up to 30 minutes. What is characteristic is that the child is in deep sleep during the episode. After it ends, the child continues to sleep and is unaware of what happened and remembers nothing in the morning.
What should be done when this happens? First, determine whether it is a nightmare or a night terror. When a child wakes up from a nightmare, the parent should hug and calm the child. Do not allow the child to move to the parents’ bed because of nightmares. A kiss and a hug are enough to overcome the nightmare. When the child starts to cry and scream but is still asleep, it is a night terror. You can help a child experiencing night terrors by hugging, calming, and soothing them. A child who “thrashes” and gets up should be protected from injury. Never wake the child because it may prolong the night terror.