Night Terrors with a 15 Month Old?

It might be hard to figure out what is going on. In our case, a well-meaning and usual kid activity caused the problem. My son was unusually verbal and could tell us that he was having horrible dreams about lions after a fun trip to a zoo. He hated lions for years. We had two cats so it wasn't about that. I never did figure out exactly why the lions were so terrifying because they barely move at the zoo.

I'd find a gentle bedtime book and see if that helps. Evenwhen kids have no words or very few (my other two didn't have any until almost 3 so we have a wide range of experience), they can understand and get scared and also feel comforted by stories and experiences. They still won't look at the Sendak books or the Dahl books. Something lovely to dream about might do the trick.

Good luck.

Hi N.,

Yes a 15 month old can have night terrors. There are usually two culprits that cause them. One is stress… At 15 months, I doubt there is any stress (which can cause them in older children) so environmental toxins can be a primary culprit. Cleaning supplies and bath and body products can cause neurological damage and can cause things like night terrors, nightmares, child behavioral disorders like ADD and ADHD and even memory problems. The main problem with your average product at Wal-Mart is that it has an "allowed" limit of toxin. When used in combination of other things with "allowed" limits, the limit has increased. This is not to mention the combination of toxins that outgas and contraindicate like a pharmaceutical does.

Like I told another mom, the other issue that usually causes night terrors is lack of sleep. Environmental toxins can also stimulate so you have a vicious cycle here with night terrors keeping him awake and causing lack of sleep.

Detoxifying your house will help a lot; especially by changing to a laundry detergent that is considered non-toxic to humans. (There are a lot of things labeled non-toxic that are only considered non-toxic to the environment.) Detoxing CAN be simple and it can be inexpensive to. If you want to give it a try, I'd be glad to help. Feel free to contact me.

God bless,

M.

Ugh...the worst thing about toddlers that no one tells you about! My daughter had her first around 18 months and experienced them pretty regularly for about a year.

The very first one she had cooincided with her starting from allergy medications--Singulair. She also had a big time change in her daytime character. Zyrtec produced the same results.

The worst and longest lasting episode occurred in the two weeks right after changing her daycare right after her second birthday. She would have several episodes in a night....one lasting the better part of an hour.

I've had moderate success with "sleep interruption". Tracking over a couple of nights when they occur and then rousing her a few minutes before I expected it to occur.

When they are occurring, I turn on the lights. Hold my daughter, if she'll let me. Repeat something soothing over and over--a song she currently likes, mama's here mama's here, etc. Rub her back.

Good luck. They will pass. Don't be (too) alarmed if he even sleep walks.

My 14 month old has those! He mainly has them when he is heavily teething, but also has them on days he doesn't sleep much every so often.

of course it's possible. if it's possible for a 2 year old, why NOT a 15 month old? what do you do for the older boys?
khairete
S.

you don't describe exactly what is happening. night terrors are no where near as common as people think they are. there are other parainsomnias but with a 15 month-old could it just be separation anxiety? does it get better when you hold him? if it does than it is not night terrors. my daughter had a form of parainsomnia and i just talked to her calmly without holding her. you can find lists of things to try such as light music and touching without holding online. also getting enough sleep and having an uneventful going to bed routine helps A LOT. many many toddlers do not get enough sleep.

YES, night terrors can occur at 1 years old.
It did for both of my kids as babies.

Look it up online... .to learn about it.