5 year-old having flip outs in the middle of the night?!

amother

Thu, Nov 01 2012, 10:17 am

My 5 year-old usually sleeps pretty much through the night. Lately, she's been waking up at midnight crying. When I go to check on her, she gets upset, and starts to hit, and kick me. When I ask what's wrong she says she doesn't know, or just responds with a grunt. When I attempt to leave the room, she cries that she'll be lonely. For the remainder of the night, she wakes up a few more times, and repeats the same behavior. In the morning when I ask her about it, she claims to not have any memory of those episodes.

What's happening here?

amother

Thu, Nov 01 2012, 10:28 am

Sherri wrote:

Night terrors?

OP here-

That does sound like a plausible explanation, but why does she adamantly reject my attempt to comfort her? If it is night terrors, are there any measures I can take to prevent it or handle it more appropriately?

Thanks!

amother

Thu, Nov 01 2012, 10:34 am

amother wrote:

Sherri wrote:

Night terrors?

According to the trusty wikipedia:
Children who have night terrors are usually described as 'bolting upright' with their eyes wide open and a look of fear and panic on their face. They will often scream. Further, they will usually sweat, exhibit rapid respiration, and have a rapid heart rate (autonomic signs). In some cases, individuals are likely to have even more elaborate motor activity, such as a thrashing of limbs -- which may include punching, swinging, or fleeing motions. There is a sense that the individual is trying to protect themselves and/or escape from a possible threat which can lead to physical injury of the individual. Although it seems like children are awake during a night terror, they will appear confused, be inconsolable and/or unresponsive toward attempts to communicate with them, and may not recognize others familiar to them.

The bolded describe here very well.

B"H YOM YOM

Thu, Nov 01 2012, 10:44 am

Night terrors are not nightmares. It usually manifests itself with child screaming uncontrollably and unaware of their environment or that they are even doing so. With nightmares, the child wakes up aware from a terrifying dream. This sounds like a sort of (?) combo nightmare/terror where she is aware at the time but forgets by the morning-B"H. Good luck, they do outgrow this after at time...

amother

Thu, Nov 01 2012, 10:46 am

Sherri wrote:

Night terrors?

my son had these, that was going to be my explanation.

I know this sounds cruel and it took me time to get used to it, but I stopped going to him, it wasnt helping him and only making me upset/worried, so I learned to not go to him, I'd listen to him crying from my room and eventually it didnt bother me as much.

he didnt have a problem coming to me during the ngiht when there was a real problem "had a bad dream" (a regular one) or "I need water" so when he was hysterical I knew it was a night terror and there is nothing to do for that.