Night Terrors and no sleep help!!

[tinytatsmom]

My 29 month old dd had surgery 6 months ago that was suppose to have us stay 4 days in hospital.  Due to unforseen circumstances she needed 2 more surgeries and stayed 12 days over 2 different stays.  Since then I have a very scared little girl.  She suffered night terrors for 3 months and is experiencing them again.  She doesn't sleep well when she has them and ends up having them again the next night from being overtired.  Unfortunately she no longer naps and putting her to bed early doesn't seem to help.  She is very clingy and the smallest things upset her. 
I need any suggestions on how to decrease her night terrors and get her sleeping again.  I try to stick to the same winddown routine and she usually falls asleep on her own.  When she is not sleeping well I have even brought her in to bed with dh and me with little luck.  It doesn't seem to matter what we do she isn't sleeping.
HElp

[Layla]

Night terrors are often from overtiredness.

Can you tell what her day looks like... what time does she wake & what time does she go to bed? She does seem a little young to be giving up naps altogether... do you still try for quiet time at all? How long has she not napped for? When you say earlier bedtime doesn't help.. what do you mean? How early have you tried bedtime?

Sorry for all the questions...
Post back & we'll help you out

Layla

[tinytatsmom]

Usually she wakes at 7:30 - 8am.
Breakfast
Get ready to go to sitters most mornings by 9:30
10am snack
noon lunch
3pm snack
5:30 - 6pm supper
play until 7:30 then clean up, snack and bed by 8pm
if in bed early we try 7:30
Iknow that she is young to give up a nap but her dad was about the same age when he did.  In fact we went on a road trip and in four 8 hour days of driving she slept once for 1.5 hrs. 
The night terrors never started until after her surgries, she was somewhat hit and miss on sleep but never night terrors. 
This am my dh asked her why she wakes up in the night and she said it is b/c she is scared.

[Layla]

She probably is scared then... so its more like nightmares than night terrors.Have you asked her what it is she is scared of? Have you thought about putting a night light in her room or asking her what it is she is scared of? My dd also got quiet frightened about 3 months ago & I had to sit with her & do gradual withdrawal until she was more confident in her room by herself. We also put a light dimmer in her room & she now falls asleep with the light on.. You could also try giving her a special toy... something to protect her at night. We also put a picture of mummy& daddy in her room so that whenever she woke at night she would "see" us.... just some ideas to help with her anxieties.

[tinytatsmom]

NO it is defiantely night terrors.  They happen in the 1st part of the night always, she appears to be awake but isn't coherent, she screams and there is nothing that comforts her.  As for night light and comfort toy she has both and if she wakes up any other time of night she will take the toy but during a terror there is nothing you can do.
I should try the picture though.
Last night she had to terrors and with the second one she kept asking to go upstairs to the couch (her safe spot).  She finally fell back asleep and I ended up putting her in bed with me.  She woke several times in the night but was able to comfort her by sshhing.  She didn't wake for a drink until 7am which is a big improvement.
Thanks for the advice.  We say her ped and she is going to refer us to a child phscologist for some play therapy.

[Layla]

Good luck with the physocologist. I don't think there is an answer for nightterrors.... you just stand back to let it run its course unfortunately. I am sorry I couldn't be of any help

[tinytatsmom]

Unfortunatly there is no answer for night terros but being so helpless sucks.  We are hoping that some play therapy might help and figure out things to  help during the day so that they don't get triggered.
On the plus side last night she had one little terror and she woke only one other time in the night.  Which is great b/c dh has been gone all week.  She woke this am at 7:30 in a pretty good mood.  The ped had suggested maybe trying to keep her up a bit later to make sure she was good and tired.  I was sceptical but at this point willing to try anything.  The terror wasn't as bad and she slept better.
Tracy