Ds woke up scared to death from nap

516 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Itlbokay, Jun 7, 2005

Emilie

Discussion Starter · Jun 4, 2005

Ds 23 months took a nap on the couch about 7:30 this evening. He had not napped all day. I thought I would let him go down for about an hour or so- I wanted some alone time with dh.
So he woke up from his nap crying, completely freaked out. This was at about 8:40. It took awhile but we figured out he either saw a bug or had a scary dream about a bug. He was doing this strange thing with his fingers and was pale as a ghost.
I got him calmed down from that- but it took forever and it was freaky- this is not normal for my son.
Then all evening he has been WEIRD. WHiny- whiiny whiny- wanting weird things- and crying alot. He has no fever, and says he does not have a owie.

What could this have been?
I am to go away tomorrow for the entire day- the longest I have ever left him- he will be with dh who is now VERY leary about watching him if there is something wrong as am I.
Thanks for the advice. He is sitting on my lap while I type this which is very strange.
Thanks
Emilie

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JamesMama

· #2 · Jun 4, 2005

Possibly just a 'night terror' my brother used to have those when he was younger. I hope he gets to feeling better! how scary for you both!

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Itlbokay

· #3 · Jun 4, 2005

(((Hug))) I know that's scary.

Sounds like a night terror to me too. My older DS used to have them when he was around that age as well. There was no distinct pattern they would follow, each was different - all of them freaked me out. I was very happy when he grew out of that.

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Emilie

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 5, 2005

I have heard of them. What causes them? Man- I hope this was a one time only hting. Poor little guy!
Emilie

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IncaMama

· #5 · Jun 5, 2005

i don't believe that my DS has night terrors, but he has had nightmares like that...waking up freaking out and can't really snap out of it for a long time. often that happens if he wakes up before he "wants" to...like a noise startles him awake, i accidentally bump him and wake him up, etc...it might not mean a lifetime of night terrors. chances are after a night's sleep he'll feel fine again...he just needs to reset himself a bit.

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NatalieS

· #6 · Jun 6, 2005

Aren't night terrors when they wake up in the am and don't recall the bad dreams? Nightmares are when they wake up and remember. DD has bad dreams a lot. never like that though. I have had dreams where i wake up so scared and i'm so shaken i can't sleep well the rest of the night. I'm haunted by the dream for usually the first part of the day.

Rescue Remedy is a good tool to help with bad dreams. that and mama's love

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Emilie

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 6, 2005

Thank you! I will go get some today. I do think he was dreaming about bugs. He dreams alot and when he wakes up he tells me. Doggie running, kitten, oh whatever it was. I ask him every morning if he had good dreams and he nods.
Emilie

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Itlbokay

· #8 · Jun 6, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emilie
I have heard of them. What causes them? Man- I hope this was a one time only hting. Poor little guy!
Emilie

I don't know what causes them, but they are definitely different from nightmares/bad dreams.

When my DS had them (between the ages of around 2-4, give or take) a lot of the time his eyes would be open, but I could not "wake him up"....it's really freaky. They wouldn't last long and he would fall right back to sleep when the episode was over. Night terrors describes it perfectly, the child looks and acts terrified - it is unmistakable, even when you have had no experience with it.

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Emilie

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 6, 2005

Yes- I am thinking it is night terror. It was horryifying I even yelled for dh and he and I tried to calm him down. It was really weird.
I hope it never happends again.
Emilie

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Itlbokay

· #10 · Jun 6, 2005

Yes, hopefully it won't happen again

After several of these with DS, I did notice that they seemed to happen more often on nights where he had been, perhaps, very busy/over stimulated during the day.

google the words "night terror causes" for some info., medline plus has some interesting info. about night terrors.

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ChasingPeace

· #11 · Jun 6, 2005

I have night terrors, and they usually happen at times when I'm overly tired, or under a lot of stress. I usually think I'm awake and laying in bed and I see a giant bug or spider or other undesirable creature coming near me. Or (since I've had my ds), I'll look down in the bed for my ds, and can't find him. I usually get out of bed and run without waking up. They are scary because they're so real, you really think you're awake, and (for me) because I run. I'm sure it's even scarier for a little guy! Is he under an unusual amount of stress? Is he eating normally (and not too close to bedtime?)?

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Itlbokay

· #12 · Jun 7, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChasingPeace
I have night terrors, and they usually happen at times when I'm overly tired, or under a lot of stress.

That's interesting...I think my DS who had them as a toddler has outgrown them to some extent, yet he still occassionally has a less intense version of them.

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