Dear Dorie, My toddler son used to sleep beautifully through the night but lately is waking and crying in his crib. I’ve heard about “night terrors” and wonder if he is experiencing them and what should I do about it?
Tenderly Tired Dear Tired, The hallmark of a night terror (as opposed to a nightmare) is a semi-conscious state — the child never really wakes up. They are particularly frightening for parents because your little treasure is truly afraid of something that you can’t identify or defend him from. A nightmare, on the other hand, is an extreme dream that arouses your son from a deep sleep cycle. Night terrors tend to run in cycles whereas nightmares can be a one shot deal. Either of them require responsive calming and reassurance that the child is safe and sound in his home and can go back to sleep (easier said than done).
But my hunch is that your son is not experiencing either of those. He’s probably just ready to get out of the crib. Before you run out and by the junior bed though, give the crib mattress on the floor a chance to see if I’m right. Often toddlers start moving around in their sleep (similar to us) and knocking into a crib side can disrupt an otherwise deep sleep. You can use a safety gate on the bedroom door (leave the door open) to test this out. For a toddler, sometimes just the knowledge that he can come and get you in the middle of the night is enough to keep him “sleeping like a baby.” Good luck.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 10, 2007. Read the original PDF.