Night Terrors
Whilst night terrors are very similar to nightmares, however, the child is partially awake from deep sleep.
Strategies to help:
Make sure that the child has a regular sleep pattern and goes to bed early. Kids can need 12 hours of sleep per night and fatigue is the most common trigger.
Remove all nightmare triggers including scary movies, or TV shows, video games and others that expose violence and evoke anxiety.
Remove all stimulants, such caffeine and sugar. A number of children have night terrors from a chemical or preservative in their food or environment – the most common one is MSG (number 621).
Address deficiencies if present -Vitamin B6 is one of the most important B vitamins to regulate brain chemistry. Deficiency presents as disturbing dreams or an inability to remember dreams. Zinc deficiency in children includes nightmares, disturbing dreams, restlessness and emotional instability. Magnesium can present as insomnia and frequent waking and muscle cramps and spasms
If necessary, herbal medicines supplied by a Health Practitioner may be required.
