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Question answered:16/08/07 Warning! this question is over two years old.
We found no ‘evidence based’ guidance on the topic, but found three eTextbook chapters that might be of interest.
eMedicine [1] has a section on medical care in pediatric night terrors that simply reports:
“Management consists of educating the family about the disorder and reassuring them that episodes are not harmful.”
GP Notebook [2] reports:
“Parents should resist trying to awaken and comfort a child in a night terror as wakening may increase the child's disturbance. The most appropriate response is to help the child settle when the acute episode dies down or if child wakens at the end of it.
The cycle of night terrors occurring at regular times can often be broken over the course of a week by waking the child before each episode is due and keeping him or her awake for a few minutes (Lack, B. Novel and non-toxic treatment of night terrors. Br Med J 1988; 297:592).”
See document (URL below) for further details.
Finally, the American Family Practice Notebook [3] suggests:
“Management
Calm your child
- Turn on lights so that child less confused
- Eliminates shadows
- Say soothing comments "You're alright. You're home"
- Speak softly and repetitively
- Shaking and shouting child only prolongs attack
- Does not awaken child sooner
- Hold child if it seems to comfort him
Protect your child
- Child can fall down stairs, run into wall
- Attempt to direct back to bed gently
Prepare baby sitters
- Describe night terror and what to do if one happens
Help child discuss fears
- What frightens him during daytime?
Consider Prompted Sleep Awakening technique”
References
1) http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1608.htm
2) http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=1355808779
3) http://www.fpnotebook.com/PSY149.htm
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