part 3

I have been aware of Elliot having dreams since he was a few months old. Generally I am able to soothe him by stroking his back or by holding him. He would settle and go back to his bed, if he would not settle he would come into bed with me. As he got older I would ask him what he wanted to do, sometimes he would want to stay in his own room, sometimes come in with me.

He has slept in his own room since he was about 5 months. He is very restless when he is asleep, I do not think he has sleep walked. He fell out of his bed a couple of times when he moved from his cot/crib to a bed. He usually sleeps on his tummy.

Last October / November his dreams became scarier. He had a night terror, lasting about 30 minutes. He seemed to have a temper tantrum in his sleep - he was screaming "no" and arching his back. I held him until it finished and he did not seem to be aware of my presence at all.

He did not remember it afterwards, but I was quite frightened as there seemed to be nothing I could do. I discussed this with my health visitor (community nurse usually specialising in child development) who said it was anight terror as opposed to a nightmare. She was supportive and suggested a few things we could do to manage them if they became regular, but he has only 1 night terror. I also tracked down an internet site about night terrors - if anyone is interested I will post the address.

A couple of weeks after the night terror he had a really scary nightmare and insisted the friend who was staying with us go outside to make sure there were no monsters on the roof. He was so scared after that dream he would not go back to sleep. He came in with me and got very upset when I started to fall asleep, although he did eventually go back to sleep. The next few nights he did not want to go to bed.

He has had a few scary dreams since, but nothing quite as disturbing as that one. He is not always able to tell me what the dream was about, but sometimes I think it is about loosing me "where are you mummy". These dreams started after we got separated when we were out shopping a few months ago.

I find I can predict when he will have dreams which distress him and wake him up - he usually has a cold or a snotty nose, but he does dream at other times. The night terror and very scary dream were associated with a stuffy nose, and most of his more disturbing dreams have been at times like this.

Vivid dreams and sleepwalking run in his fathers family, it is very common in that side of the family. His fathers friends and family tell many amusing stories about his fathers sleepwalking, I find it more worrying as I know he (my son's father) has left the house in his sleep. I don't think I have ever sleepwalked but I am told I have talked in my sleep at times, I don't often remember my dreams.

I have discussed Elliot's dreams with his father and that side of the family, they say "we just ignore them". I don't find this very helpful. Elliot's dad only took the night terror seriously when he discussed it with a colleague whose son has had them regularly. His father and I do not live together and never have done, so he has never been around when E has had the really bad nightmares.

When I discussed the night terror with his paternal grandmother, she said she was not aware of any of her children or the other grandchildren having had a night terror.

end of part 3