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My Trips to the Hospital


About Me

My Trips to the Hospital

Hi, I'm Cari. When I was a teenager, my best friend Claire's mom got cancer. I started offering to take Deb (the mom) to the hospital for her treatments to help give the family a break. They had all been in and out of the hospital so much, and since I'm basically family to them, it was nice to support Deb and Claire. Not to mention, I was able to learn a lot about different medical topics just be listening and watching while waiting in the hospital. It was fascinating. To everyone's joy, after a long and hard two years, Deb finally beat cancer! I decided to start this blog as a memorial to all those who have struggled with health problems and as a resource to for anyone who needs to know more about hospitals and treatments.

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Toddler Tantrum At Night? More Likely It's A Night Terror

Everyone has heard of the terrible twos and many parents dread those times when a toddler is simply uncooperative while kicking and screaming. The tantrums a two-year-old child can throw are sometimes enough to illicit a giggle from their parents out of exasperation. That's during the daytime. 

When toddlers scream at night, though? It's an entirely different story and can be quite scary for everyone who hears them. A toddler screaming at night is likely having a night terror. 

What is a night terror?

Night terror causes inconsolable screaming in a very young child in the middle of the night after being woken up. A toddler having a night terror could quite literally scream and thrash around for hours in the middle of the night. It can be traumatic for the parents to deal with. It's typically caused by a lack of good-quality sleep brought on by stressful changes. To put it bluntly — it's usually caused by sleep deprivation. 

However, there may be a medical explanation for the night terrors, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and seizure disorders. Due to the possibility of the root cause being a medical disorder, some of which can be quite serious, it's crucial to make an appointment with a child doctor to discuss the situation of the night terrors and to get a thorough examination to rule out any underlying medical causes. 

How can you help your child go through a night terror?

Your child's doctor can give you some good advice and recommendations on how to handle your child's night terrors and what to do to keep your child safe when he or she has them. If the medical evaluation passed with flying colors and you can't think of anything stressful that your child may be experiencing, start keeping a log of his or her activities. There may be a pattern that you can easier when it's in a list. Perhaps the answer is as simple as moving the bedtime a bit earlier or adjusting their nap.

During the middle of the night while your toddler is having a night terror, the best thing for you to do is to make sure your toddler knows you are there and that they are safe. If not, your toddler may attempt to escape their crib and/or room to find you to console them, so you'll want to make sure to toddler-proof their room as much as possible.

For more information, contact a child doctor near you.