Before our little one experienced her first night terror, I was blissfully unaware of what they were. Sure, I had heard the term tossed around, but I naively equated it with a nightmare. Boy, was I mistaken. The distinction is significant—like discovering the terrifying reality of an angler fish after thinking it was just another fish.
Our daughter, just 5 years old at the time, had been sound asleep for a few hours when we were jolted awake by her panicked screams of, “Mommy! Mooommmy!” Naturally, I rushed to her side, thinking it was a bad dream. But as I entered her room, I quickly realized this was not your average nightmare scenario. She was sitting upright in bed, crying uncontrollably, but her eyes were wide open and she seemed completely disoriented.
My husband joined me in trying to comfort her, and we even turned on the light, hoping it would help. Imagine the chilling scene: your child, eyes glazed over, screaming for you but seemingly unaware of your presence. I desperately tried to catch her gaze, thinking that if she could see me, she would come back to reality. Instead, she just looked through me, lost in her own world of fear.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wake her from this episode. Panic began to set in as I voiced my anxieties to my husband, tears welling in my eyes. In that moment, I felt utterly helpless. If I had believed in supernatural forces, I might have been tempted to call a priest for an exorcism. I had never witnessed anything like this before. Eventually, she calmed down and drifted back to sleep, completely unaware of the turmoil that had just unfolded.
The next day, I shared my experience with a friend, who mentioned that it sounded like a night terror—something her sons had occasionally gone through. She recounted a time when one of them had a night terror while camping, and she had to hold him in their car as he yelled for her. As I spoke to more friends, I learned that this wasn’t just a rare occurrence.
What the heck? How did I not know about this phenomenon? Night terrors should be added to the list of parenting surprises that nobody warns you about, along with round ligament pain and postpartum complications. While I hope your child never experiences a night terror, at least now you’ll be able to recognize it if it happens. And don’t worry, there’s no need to call an exorcist.
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In summary, night terrors can be a startling experience for both parents and children, but understanding them can help alleviate fears.