Night Terrors
WRITTEN BY Angela Goldwaite, RDAEF2
Night terrors, also known as sleep terrors…
Sounds like something that could be caused by your child’s fear of what is under his bed, or hiding in her closet, doesn’t it?
You might even suspect it is caused by the fear of an ethereal entity due to your child’s countenance of:
- Wide opened eyes
- Dilated pupils
- Heavy breathing
- Racing pulse
- Sweating
As they…
- Sit up in bed
- Scream
- Cry uncontrollably
- Won’t be consoled
- Talk nonsensically
- Kick or thrash about
But are these episodes that can be highly unnerving to witness actually nightmares caused by an overactive imagination… or is there a root cause underlying condition that can be treated naturally?
A number of studies have proven that once one particular factor is removed from the equation, night terrors vanish![1] [2] What was that one factor?
Among some other issues, the studies uncovered Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) to be a significant[3] suspect in a number of parasomnias including night terrors, sleepwalking, bedwetting, and teeth grinding!
Am I accusing
snoring
to be the villain possibly responsible for those frightful wakings? Well, no… and yes!!
I say, “no”, because during a night terror, although your loved one looks like they are alert and awake, they actually are not! These episodes usually occur within the first 3 hours after going to bed, while in the deepest stages of sleep. That is why most children don’t even recall the experience by the next morning… although I am sure you, as a witness, won’t easily forget it! Conversely, nightmares are disturbing dreams that occur later in the evening and are often remembered by the child, provoking emotional distress.
And I say “Yes”, to the accusation I made previously about snoring because SDB can be dangerous[4] and refers to the entire spectrum of altered breathing during sleep, ranging from periodic snoring to habitual snoring, to obstructive sleep apnea. One article even noted that “The clear, prompt improvement of severe parasomnia in children who are treated for SDB, provides important evidence that subtle SDB can have substantial health-related significance.”[5]
Night terrors are linked to stress, anxiety, and overtiredness which, lo and behold are also symptoms of SDB. More than one-half of the children referred to doctors for sleep terrors were found to have one of the most severe forms of SDB, known as obstructive sleep apnea. [6] Additionally, even though sleep terrors commonly subside by the age of 12, the development of other parasomnias[7][8] as well as health, behavior, and learning issues [9] may manifest afterward.
What should you do if your child suffers from night terrors? [10]
- Stay calm, most night terrors only last between 30 seconds to 3 minutes[11]
- Do not attempt to wake the child
- Make sure your child can’t hurt herself
- Gently restrain him if he tries to get out of bed
- Allow your child to relax and go back to sleep
- Be sure to tell other caregivers what sleep terrors are and what to do
- Have your child evaluated for SDB and treat the underlying problem
What clues point to your child
suffering from SDB?[12]
- Frequent snoring
- Mouth breathing
- Teeth grinding
- Pauses in breathing during
- sleep
- Gasping or snorting during
- sleep
- Excessive daytime
- sleepiness or irritability
- Behavioral problems
- Bedwetting
- Sleepwalking or night
- terrors
- Learning problems
- Morning headaches
You are probably asking, “what is the root cause of SDB and what treatment is available for my child if she has SDB”?
One factor that has been proven to be a root cause of SDB and sleep apnea is underdeveloped upper and lower jaws. Dr. Corruccini[13], an anthropologist, noticed that in our industrial western society, our jaws don’t become fully developed due to lack of breastfeeding long enough as well as the absence of hard, tough foods in our diet. These two very important things help develop our tongue and jaw muscles as well as bone growth. Unfortunately, our diets of soft processed foods from the time we are babies on up, have produced a population with smaller underdeveloped jaws which in turn causes crooked teeth, undeveloped airways, SDB and
sleep apnea
! And as I have already listed previously, SDB can cause a pretty devastating life-long, unhealthy chain of events!
Dr. Azouz can help evaluate your child for SDB by looking at her face, head, neck, and mouth. He has treated many children with oral appliance therapy for their underdeveloped dental arches. The non-surgical, removable appliance guides the dental arches into a healthy, proper form that can open up the entire airway, making it easier for your child to breathe and get more oxygen throughout the day and night. This in turn equates to a night of restful and restorative night sleep and corrects the root cause of SDB. Can you see how this natural approach to treating night terrors by treating SDB could be a significant step to empowering your child for the future of their dreams?
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
[1] https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/111/1/e17.full.pdf
[2] http://europepmc.org/article/MED/12509590
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419382/
[4] https://www.parentingscience.com/night-terrors-in-children.html
[5] http://europepmc.org/article/MED/12509590
[6] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/night-terrors
[7] https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep-disorders/night-terrors/
[8] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2337224
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419382/
[11] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias