Toddler Night Terrors
The short answer
Night terrors are a common and harmless sleep phenomenon where your child appears terrified - screaming, thrashing, or sitting up - but is actually still asleep and will not remember the episode. They are caused by a partial arousal from deep sleep and are not a sign of emotional distress or psychological problems.
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By Age
What to expect by age
0-12 months
True night terrors are very rare under 12 months. If your baby is screaming inconsolably during the night, it is more likely due to discomfort from gas, reflux, teething, or illness. If the episodes happen repeatedly around the same time each night and your baby seems impossible to console, mention it to your pediatrician.
12-24 months
Night terrors can begin appearing in this age range, though they are still uncommon. They typically occur in the first third of the night, about 1-3 hours after falling asleep. Your child may scream, thrash, appear to stare through you, and resist being held. The best response is to stay nearby and make sure they are safe, but avoid trying to wake them forcefully.
2-4 years
This is the peak age for night terrors. About 1 in 6 children experience at least one episode. They tend to run in families and are more likely when children are overtired, sleeping in a new environment, or coming down with an illness. Most children outgrow them by age 5-6 without any treatment.
4+ years
Night terrors become less frequent with age as the brain matures in its ability to transition between sleep stages. If they are still occurring frequently and disrupting the family, your pediatrician may suggest a technique called scheduled awakenings, where you gently rouse your child about 15 minutes before the typical episode time to reset their sleep cycle.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- The episode occurs in the first few hours after falling asleep and lasts 5-15 minutes
- Your child does not remember the episode in the morning
- Your child appears confused during the episode and does not seem to recognize you
- Episodes happen occasionally, especially when your child has missed naps or had a late bedtime
- Your child is otherwise well, happy during the day, and meeting all developmental milestones
- Night terrors occur more than twice a week for several weeks
- Episodes last longer than 30 minutes
- Your child is also sleepwalking during the episodes or leaving their bed, which raises safety concerns
- You notice your child snoring loudly, mouth breathing, or pausing their breathing during sleep, which could suggest obstructive sleep apnea contributing to night terrors
- Your child has a seizure-like episode with rhythmic jerking, stiffening, or eye rolling that differs from typical thrashing
- Your child is difficult to rouse after the episode ends and seems abnormally confused or weak during the day
- Episodes begin after a head injury
Sources
Related Resources
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician.
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Related Sleep Concerns
How Long Should Baby Be Awake Between Naps?
The ideal awake time between naps (called a "wake window") increases as your baby grows. Newborns may only handle 45-90 minutes awake, while toddlers can manage 4-6 hours. Getting wake windows right is one of the most effective ways to improve nap quality, because both too-short and too-long wake times lead to poor sleep.
Is a Bath Before Bed Really Necessary?
A nightly bath is not medically necessary and some babies with sensitive skin do better with less frequent bathing. However, a warm bath can be a powerful sleep cue because the subsequent body temperature drop triggers melatonin production. If you include a bath, keep it calm and warm rather than stimulating.
How Long Should the Bedtime Routine Be?
An ideal bedtime routine for babies and toddlers is 20-30 minutes. Shorter routines may not give enough time to wind down, while routines longer than 45 minutes can become a stalling tactic. Consistency in the routine order matters more than exact length.
Is My Baby's Bedtime Too Early?
For most babies over 3 months, bedtime between 6:00-8:00 PM is appropriate. A bedtime that is too early can cause early morning wakings (before 6 AM) or long periods of wakefulness in the middle of the night. However, during nap transitions or on days when naps were short, an earlier-than-usual bedtime helps prevent overtiredness.
Is My Baby's Bedtime Too Late?
For babies over 3-4 months, consistently going to bed after 8:30-9:00 PM may result in overtiredness, which paradoxically makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Cortisol rises when babies are overtired, leading to more night wakings and early mornings. Moving bedtime earlier, even by 15-30 minutes, often improves overnight sleep quality.
Baby Only Napping 30 Minutes
Short naps of 30-45 minutes are extremely common in babies under 6 months. Your baby is waking at the end of a single sleep cycle and has not yet learned to link cycles together during the day. This is developmentally normal and typically improves on its own between 5-7 months as the brain matures.