How To Overcome Night Terrors

When should my child sleep alone? This is one of the common questions we face as parents. We know that it is important for their autonomy and maturity, but the issue is complicated by the appearance of night terrors.

Here we explain what these terrors are about, which especially stalk the little ones some nights.

What are night terrors?

Sleep has two phases that alternate several times throughout it. Night terrors occur in some children when they go from the deepest to the most superficial.

Terrors occur  when this transition occurs, and children may wake up with screaming, sweating, and a feeling of deep fear. They go back to sleep shortly after, and unlike nightmares, they usually don’t remember anything the next day.

But what can we do to help end them if it is a psychological phenomenon?

The key may be to reduce stress, as night terrors originate in little ones with high brain activity. To lower it, it is fundamental how the vigil is managed.

Tips to overcome night terrors

Sometimes it is even necessary to go to a professional such as a psychologist to help us. However, the following tips may be helpful if night terrors appear on time:

Don’t use fear as punishment

Dealing with children is very complex. In the conventional education model, adults often resort to a figure like “the bogeyman” or “the bogeyman” that serves to frighten the little ones.

Thus, thanks to that fear, they get the obedience they seek. For those who suffer from night terrors, this strategy is prohibited.

• Keep in mind that, by staying in the bedroom, we are alone, with everything we have experienced. This makes us more vulnerable.

• In fact, many children close their eyes thinking that these “monsters” are going to appear.

Thus, this suspicion provokes a state of alert that can culminate in an episode of night terror in the most sensitive.

The invisible friend is a great ally

It is a good instrument, because it reduces the feeling of loneliness. As we said, when we turn off the lights we become very fragile.

However, an invisible friend alleviates that emotion. In addition, we can clothe the companion with great powers.

Thus, their exceptional qualities will protect them from any threat. In this way, the little ones go to bed with the peace of mind that someone is watching over them.

Of course, it should be temporary, so we need to build your trust. Do you want to know how?

Watch him and chat with him

Communicating what happens to us is not always easy, and it is even less so when you still do not have a large vocabulary or emotional knowledge.

Consequently, it is best to look at it and see how it relates to its surroundings. You will surely discover certain anomalous reactions that may indicate that you fear a specific phenomenon, object or person.

After making sure there is no reason for it, you want to be with him to show him that he has nothing to fear.

We know that it is very difficult to expose them in this way, but we must avoid being dominated by this feeling. Thus, we suggest you cut this process gradually, so that he gets rid of the terror himself.

In this way, when you go to bed, you will have eliminated that negative feeling, so it will not appear in your dream.

Physical activity helps them overcome night terrors

There are sports for all ages, you can even try yoga for children. The benefits of exercising for children are endless.

• Although it improves psychomotor skills and fosters essential values, what interests us here is its ability to reduce anxiety, as indicated by professionals such as Miguel Morilla, a sports psychologist.
• Sport is capable of reducing cortisol levels, a stress hormone, and promoting the secretion of serotonin and endorphins, substances that cause well-being.
• On the other hand, it generates a physical fatigue that puts us in a better disposition to sleep.

Of course, we are talking about a difficulty that requires patience and accompaniment. When the episode occurs, if he wakes up, get close to him, hug him, reassure him before everyone goes back to bed.

The important thing is that you are at the critical moment and, that during the day, you work on self-confidence and with the environment.