There are many types of sleep disorders, with the common feature of being associated with unpleasant symptoms and consequences. One of the most difficult sleep disorders to tolerate affects children, but parents may be more affected than children. This is pavor sleep disorder, also known as pavor nocturnus.
It is when a child wakes suddenly at night, during a period of not very deep sleep, and starts to cry almost inconsolably in a fit of fear.
The phenomenon can be very frightening, as parents often feel completely helpless with their inconsolable child. Despite the trying situations, it is not a dangerous condition, as children do not remember the night terrors in the morning.
Sometimes sleepwalking may be associated with pavor sleep disturbance, but children outgrow this phenomenon over time.
What can parents do if they have pavor sleep disorder?
When pavor sleep disorder appears, there is nothing much parents can do unless the problem persists after the age of 7. It is obviously worth mentioning the problem to the paediatrician earlier, but it is always worth consulting a doctor after the age of 7.
There are cases where night terrors occur more than three times in a week. Of course, it is also worth seeking professional help to get through this difficult period. It may be advisable to have a sleep laboratory test, as nocturnal respiratory failure may be the cause of the symptoms.
Causes of pavor sleep disturbance
The exact cause of pavor sleep disorder is not really known, but neurodevelopmental and genetic factors are suspected. It can affect the way it appears:
- excessive fatigue,
- overstimulation during the day,
- our babies are more tired than average,
- or going to bed at a different time of day.
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To prevent pavor sleep disturbance, it is worth paying more attention to children’s daily schedules and recording the history, time and circumstances of night wakings. By keeping a diary, we may be able to find some correlations and eliminate the factors that trigger pavor sleep disturbance in our children.
This article is not intended to be self-diagnostic in any way, it is informative and educational. If you experience any of the above symptoms, please consult your doctor.