My DD ( 3 1/2) does this when her sleep schedule is disrupted. Whenever her
nap schedule changes, for several weeks, mommy doesn't get much sleep (my
husband can sleep through just about anything). I'm guessing that starting
preschool, where she has to get up at a set time each morning, will have a
similar effect for the first few weeks of school-and once she gets on that
schedule, nothing can be allowed to disrupt it-not school breaks,
vacations,
or whatever, because she'll start having terrors again.
Since our rooms are quite close, I've found that just saying "DD, It's OK,
you're in your bed" tends to settle her back down, without my even getting
up. (I suspect that I now respond to her while I'M still half asleep).
Once
she settles into a new schedule, the terrors will fade until something
else
changes her sleep schedule.
The strange thing is that she doesn't seem to be more tired the next day
compared to nights where she doesn't cry out. In some ways, her night
terrors are more disruptive and disturbing for me than for her, even
though
it certainly SOUNDS like she's suffering.
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