Night Terrors

So...last night was pretty miserable. Jack had a long, exciting day at school with the Halloween parade, and then Justin & I took him out for a hibatchi dinner to relax. He usually loooves the show - but last night, he was terrified of absolutely everything. It's like he was on sensory overload all day and he just couldn't take any more! So really, it should have been no surprise that he woke up at midnight screaming bloody murder. Justin gave it a valiant effort and tried to get him back down. Jack would fall asleep in his arms, but then howl and cry terribly when put back down in his crib. Finally at around 1:45am I got up with him (Justin had been so nice to let me sleep but really, what Mom can sleep with a screaming hysterical toddler in bed??) After much soothing, singing, soft music, and laying down with him, he finally went back to sleep.

Something just wasn't right to me. He has had nightmares before but he usually calms right back down. I thought about his day (he woke up earlier than usual, he had nothing but junk to eat all day, he had a big exciting dinner with Mom & Dad - and on top of that, lots of people were dressed up in masks and costumes which we know he hates.) I figured it was nightmares recurring, or it was night terrors. So of course, I posted about it on Facebook. I got lots of suggestions and even some firsthand advice from parents who dealt with this before. Here's the scoop on toddler night terrors from WebMD:

Toddler Night Terrors

Though a night terror looks and sounds a lot like a nightmare — the wild-eyed stare, the screams, the panting, the sweaty brow — a night terror is a whole other ball game. Your child’s eyes may be wide open, but he’s still sound asleep. He may be shouting for you, but he can’t sense your presence — or worse — be comforted by you. Night terrors usually strike the first few hours after your toddler hits the sack, during the deep, non-REM sleep, but unlike a nightmare, your child won’t remember his terrors the next day (even though you will).
What causes night terrors: Like nightmares, night terrors are caused by erratic sleep schedule, change of routine (a new sibling, starting school), stress, or anxiety about something in your child’s waking life. Kids who don’t get adequate sleep are more prone to terrors than those who do.
How to deal with night terrors: What’s a Mom to do? Not a whole lot, other than staying with your toddler to be sure he doesn’t hurt himself. Children experiencing night terrors can thrash around. Don’t attempt to wake him (you probably wouldn’t even be able to) since that just might make him more agitated and disoriented — and don’t try to hold him, either. A terror can last anywhere from one to 30 minutes, so it’s best just to wait it out. Most kids will settle back to sleep easily, if they even wake, but if he doesn’t, just go into your normal soothing routine. Don’t try talking to him about it — he won’t even know he’s had one.
How to prevent night terrors: Get your toddler back on track with a calming bedtime ritual, and try to get to the heart of what may be bothering him by talking about his teacher or caregiver, friends, even yourself and your hubby. (Don’t bother talking about the night terrors since he can’t recall them anyway.) If your child experiences frequent episodes — more than twice a week — your pediatrician might suggest keeping a diary of when they occur, then waking your child 15 minutes prior to that time to help prevent them. The good news is that night terrors, once they start, usually last only a few weeks. If despite your best efforts, your child’s terrors continue, or you have any other concern about his sleep, you may want to ask your pediatrician about consulting a sleep specialist.
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I don't think we will need to go to any extremes: I can tie this episode to things going on in real life and I hope that getting back on real food (only healthy fruits and veggies today, thank you!!!!) and real sleep will help. He took a decent nap today so I am hoping that we are not in for a repeat performance! I am considering Halloween trick or treating though. The nighttime, scary mask and spooky kids atmosphere may not be something Jack is preapred for. We will play it by ear.

Til later...