• Why does my daughter scream out in her sleep?

My daughter is 4 years old and nearly every night she'll scream out in her sleep. Sometimes she wakes up, but other times she remains asleep during these episodes. I don’t know if this is night terrrors or bad dreams or what. What can I do to find out what's going on with my child when she sleeps?

3 Answers

  • Psychiatrist
  • Phoenix, Arizona

Based on how you’re describing it, they sound like night terrors. Usually kids do not even have memory of the dream. Best to get her evaluated by a sleep specialist.

  • Psychiatrist
  • Chicago, Il

Please take her to a child counselor or a child psychiatrist.

  • Pediatrician
  • Hattiesburg, Mississippi

In night terrors, they usually wake up screaming, but are disoriented, and when they get fully awake, they are okay and do not remember the event. It is usually a recurrent sleep problem. If she just cries out, she may be sleep talking. This is also a parasomnia event related to the stage of sleep. These usually run in families. You can do a sleep study with neurology and see what is going on.

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