@napcueapp: Night terrors and nightmares look similar from the doorway. They are completely different events — and they need completely different responses. ⠀ 1️⃣ A night terror happens during the first third of the night, in deep slow-wave sleep, typically between 11pm and 1am. The child screams, appears distressed, eyes may be open but glazed, and they do not respond to your voice or presence. They are not awake. They are not dreaming. They are in a partial arousal from deep sleep and have no awareness of what is happening. Comforting them during the episode often prolongs it. ⠀ 2️⃣ A nightmare happens in the second half of the night, during REM sleep, when dreaming occurs. The child wakes fully, is aware of their surroundings, can describe what scared them, and responds to reassurance. They are genuinely distressed and benefit from comfort, presence, and calm reassurance that it was a dream. ⠀ 3️⃣ The correct response to a night terror: stay nearby, ensure the child is physically safe, do not try to wake them or hold them, do not speak loudly or turn on lights. The episode will end on its own in 5 to 20 minutes. The child will not remember it in the morning. Attempting to wake or comfort actively can escalate the episode. ⠀ 4️⃣ Night terrors in toddlers are linked to overtiredness. A toddler who is consistently running a sleep deficit — too much awake time, late bedtime, dropped nap too early — is more likely to experience night terrors. Addressing the sleep schedule is the prevention. There is no treatment for individual episodes beyond safety supervision. ⠀ This is the exact reason I started using an app called Napcue. It learns my baby's real patterns, tracks wake windows automatically, and gives me a heads up when the sleepy window is about to open so we're not crashing past it. Bedtime went from feeling like a guessing game to being a quiet notification on my phone. ⠀ Link in bio @napcueapp 💜 #babysleep #nightterrors #toddlersleep #babysleeptips #newmom

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Tuesday 01 September 2026 17:33:41 GMT