Why it happens Night terrors are mysterious sleep disturbances that preschoolers and older children are occasionally subject to, always during the deepest part of non-dreaming sleep, usually within one to four hours of falling asleep. While his eyes may be wide open, he is not awake and will not be aware of your presence. Unlike with a nightmare, he will fall right back to sleep after the episode and have no memory of the incident the next morning. About 5 percent of all children will have an episode of night terrors.
Night terrors can be a symptom of sleep apnea .
When your child's muscles relax at night, oversized glands can temporarily block air from getting to his lungs. What you can do about it Don't try to intervene in the middle of a night terror. Let your child scream it out, and unless he is in danger of hurting himself, don't try to physically comfort him. If you attempt to hold your terrified child it could lead to wilder behavior. Instead, speak calmly and place yourself between him and anything dangerous.