What are the causes of night terrors? Night terrors in babies may be due to hyper-vigilance of the central nervous system during sleep. Since the central nervous system is not well developed, the function of regulating sleep and wakefulness is also underdeveloped and prone to night terrors. Some children also have a genetic predisposition to night terrors, and about 80% of children with night terrors have a family history of night terrors or sleepwalking that occurred when some family members were children. The following children are also prone to night terrors: 1) excessive fatigue or illness or stress; 2) taking some new medication; 3) having a change in the environment in which they sleep. The incidence of night terrors is relatively low, about 3-6% in childhood, and almost every child experiences occasional nightmares. Night terrors are most common in children aged 4-12 years, with a peak incidence at 4-7 years of age, and have also been reported in infants as young as 18 months of age. They are slightly more common in boys than in girls. Some children can have night terrors several times a night. Most children’s night terrors will gradually disappear as they grow older and their nervous system matures. How to deal with night terrors in children? Most parents do not know how to respond to and comfort their children with night terrors, so they often feel distressed and helpless. In fact, the best way to cope with night terrors is to wait patiently and make sure your child is safe when they occur. Most children are able to calm down and go back to sleep on their own after a few minutes. Parents should also be aware that they should not wake their child from a night terror. If the child is forcibly awakened, they are often confused and take longer to fall back to sleep. There is no special treatment for night terrors, but as a parent you should help your child try to do the following: 1. relieve your child’s stress; 2. establish a regular sleep schedule and try to stick to it; 3. make sure your child gets enough sleep; 4. don’t wait until your child is very tired before going to sleep, and don’t sleep too late. Understanding night terrors will make you less anxious, and your own sleep quality will improve. However, if your child’s night terrors occur too frequently, then you should take your child to a specialist.