Night terrors are a benign sleep disorder that affects 3 to 5% of children, especially those between 18 months and 5 years of age. They occur during deep sleep, 1 to 3 hours after falling asleep. The child screams, seems terrified, but is still asleep and will have no memory of it the next morning. The best thing to do is not to wake them, to stay by their side, and to make sure they don’t hurt themselves.
It’s 11 p.m. Your child is screaming. You rush into their room, your heart pounding. They’re sitting up in bed, eyes wide open, staring blankly, covered in sweat. You call his name. You reach out your arms. He doesn’t seem to see you; he’s thrashing about, inconsolable.
This distressing scenario has a name: night terrors. And even though it’s very unsettling to witness, the good news is that it’s completely harmless, and your child won’t remember a thing about it.
What Exactly is a Night Terror?
Night terrors are a parasomnia, that is, a sleep-related behavioral disorder. They occur during the deep slow-wave sleep phase, usually in the first third of the night, 1 to 3 hours after falling asleep.
In practical terms, the child is in a state of partial wakefulness. They are not fully awake, but they are no longer deeply asleep either. Their brain is stuck between two states, which triggers this episode of intense panic, with no awareness of what is happening.
During the episode, your child may scream or shout very loudly, have their eyes open with a blank stare, sweat profusely, have a rapid heartbeat, and thrash about while rejecting any physical contact. An episode generally lasts 5 to 20 minutes. At the end, the child falls back asleep on their own, as if nothing had happened.
Night Terrors or Nightmares: How Can You Tell The Difference?
This is the most common source of confusion among parents, and it’s completely understandable. However, the two phenomena have almost nothing in common.
Night terrors occur early in the night, during deep sleep. The child doesn’t really wake up, doesn’t recognize you, and doesn’t calm down in your arms. The child has no memory of it the next morning.
Nightmares, on the other hand, occur toward the end of the night, during REM sleep. The child wakes up completely, cries, calls out to you, seeks your arms, and quickly calms down with comfort. Starting around age 2 or 3, they may even recount their bad dream.
The appropriate response is therefore very different: a nightmare calls for immediate comfort, while a night terror requires patience and non-intervention.
At What Age Do Night Terrors Begin?
Night terrors are most common between 18 months and 6 years of age, peaking around 2 to 4 years of age. This period corresponds to a phase of intense brain development, during which sleep cycles have not yet fully stabilized. According to Ameli.fr (the official website of France’s national health insurance system), they are among the most common parasomnias in young children and usually disappear on their own as the child grows, without the need for treatment.
There is a genetic predisposition: if one of the parents experienced night terrors as a child, the risk is higher for the child. Some studies also indicate a slight prevalence among boys, although girls are just as likely to be affected.
Why Does Your Child Have Night Terrors?
Several factors can trigger or worsen episodes, and identifying them often helps reduce them.
Fatigue and lack of sleep. This is the main cause. A child who has skipped a nap, gone to bed too late, or accumulated a sleep debt falls into deep slow-wave sleep more deeply. This sudden plunge disrupts the transitions between sleep cycles and promotes confused awakenings.
Changes in schedule or routine. Starting daycare, moving, the birth of a younger sibling, vacations, the start of the school year… Any disruption to the daily routine can trigger episodes.
Stress and anxiety. Children absorb stress from their environment. A big scare during the day, tension at home, or a major change can manifest at night as a night terror.
Fever. A high fever can also contribute to these episodes.
What to Do (and What Not to Do) During a Night Terror?
What to Do:
- Stay calm. Your own anxiety can make the episode worse. Take a deep breath.
- Stay present without intervening. Stand near the bed and make sure your child doesn’t hurt themselves. This is your main role during the episode.
- Speak to them gently. Your calm voice can help them drift back into peaceful sleep, even if they aren’t consciously hearing you.
- Make the space safe. If your child gets up and moves around, gently guide them without shaking them or waking them abruptly.
What not to do:
- Don’t wake them up. This is the most common mistake. Waking a child in the middle of a night terror can cause great confusion and make the situation worse.
- Don’t force them into your arms. If your child is struggling, forcing physical contact can increase their panic.
- Don’t bring it up the next morning. Your child has no memory of the episode. By mentioning it, you risk creating anxiety around bedtime that they didn’t have before.
How Can You Reduce The Frequency of Night Terrors?
Since fatigue is the main trigger, the goal is to improve your child’s overall sleep hygiene.
Put your child to bed earlier. A tired child falls asleep quickly but doesn’t sleep as well. Moving bedtime up by 15 to 30 minutes can make a real difference in the quality of deep sleep.
Keep naps as long as they’re needed. Eliminating naps too early increases sleep debt and promotes disoriented awakenings early in the night. Even if your child refuses to sleep, a quiet time in the afternoon helps them partially recover.
Establish a consistent, repetitive bedtime routine. Consistency reassures your child’s brain and facilitates the transition to sleep. A warm bath, a story, soft music, a security blanket… find what soothes your child and repeat it every night, in the same order.
Limit screen time and stimulating activities in the two hours before bedtime. The blue light from screens delays falling asleep and disrupts the quality of deep sleep.
If episodes occur every night at roughly the same time, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) recommends the “scheduled wake-up” technique for frequent and repeated cases: gently wake the child 15 to 30 minutes before the usual time of the episode, give them a glass of water, and then let them fall back asleep. When repeated for about a month, this protocol can significantly reduce the frequency of these episodes.
The Bedtime Routine: Your Best Ally For More Restful Nights
A child who falls asleep feeling calm and secure has more restful nights. It’s as simple as that. And among the rituals that help little ones release the day’s tensions, gentle warmth holds a special place.
For 26 years, parents around the world have been using the Béké-Bobo therapeutic teddy bear as part of their bedtime routine. It takes just 30 seconds in the microwave to warm the grain pouch built into the teddy bear. Its soothing warmth, released by a patented grain blend that emits a gentle, natural moisture, creates a calming sensation that children love to experience every night. Placed near the child’s tummy or cradled in their arms as they drift off to sleep, it helps lower anxiety levels and gently prepares the body for sleep.
Classified as a medical device by the European Union, the Béké-Bobo therapeutic teddy bear is designed for babies and toddlers.
Shop Béké-Bobo Therapeutic Teddy Bears
When Should You See Your Pediatrician?
In the vast majority of cases, night terrors do not require any medical treatment. They tend to fade over time. Consult your pediatrician if the episodes occur every night for several weeks, if your child puts themselves in physical danger during the episodes, if the night terrors are accompanied by sleepwalking, or if you notice significant anxiety in your child during the day.
Night terrors are a normal part of many children’s development. They can be dramatic and exhausting for parents who witness them, yet they are completely harmless to the child, who will have no memory of them. Your role is not to intervene during an episode, but to ensure your child’s safety and provide a regular, calm, and ritualized sleep environment. That’s where it all comes down to.
