YOUR QUESTION. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
What causes nightmares and night terrors in young children?
Nightmares are scary dreams a child wakes from and remembers, often driven by overtiredness, anxiety or upsetting experiences. Night terrors are partial awakenings from deep sleep — the child seems terrified but isn't awake and won't remember. Both are common from 2–7 years, usually harmless, and settle with age.
In this answer 5 sections
Your child sits up screaming, eyes wide, yet won't wake — and by morning remembers nothing. It's frightening to watch, and it's also one of the most normal parts of early childhood sleep.
In short
Nightmares and night terrors are different things with different causes. Nightmares are scary dreams in the second half of the night that a child wakes from and remembers — often linked to overtiredness, anxiety, a vivid imagination or a recent upsetting experience. Night terrors are not dreams at all: they happen in the first few hours of deep sleep, the child appears terrified but is not truly awake, and remembers nothing the next day. Both are common between 2 and 7 years, usually harmless, and almost always settle with age.
Why they happen
Night terrors arise from a partial awakening out of deep (non-REM) sleep — the body's alarm switches on while the mind stays asleep. Common triggers include:
- Being overtired or having an irregular bedtime
- Illness, fever or being unwell
- A full bladder or disrupted sleep routine
- A family history of terrors or sleepwalking
Nightmares occur in REM sleep, when dreaming is most active, and are more often linked to:
- Big feelings — anxiety, stress, a change at home or starting nursery
- Frightening stories, screens or images before bed
- Overtiredness, which intensifies dreaming
In both cases the developing brain is simply still learning to move smoothly between sleep stages — it is a sign of growth, not damage.
When to seek a developmental check
Most settle on their own. Speak to a professional if episodes happen most nights, lead to daytime exhaustion, involve breathing pauses or sudden jerking, or come alongside worries about your child's speech, behaviour or emotional regulation. Persistent disturbed sleep can both reflect and affect development, so it's worth a gentle look.
The Pinnacle way
Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional., under qualified clinician care — never from an app or a checklist at home. If sleep worries sit alongside questions about how your child is developing, a structured developmental screen gives you a clear starting point, and our emotional and behavioural support team can help you build calm bedtime routines. Begin wherever you are — start here.
Trusted sources
American Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org) guidance on childhood sleep and parasomnias; CDC child development and sleep resources; WHO Nurturing Care Framework on early childhood wellbeing.
Next step — If disturbed sleep is worrying you or sits alongside other developmental questions, book a developmental screen with a Pinnacle clinician.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
CONNECT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHILD’S DAY
Something to notice. Something to discuss.
What to notice
Watch for episodes most nights, daytime exhaustion, breathing pauses or sudden jerking during sleep, or sleep worries alongside concerns about speech, behaviour or emotion — these are worth a professional look.
In everyday life
During a night terror, don't try to wake or restrain your child — stay calm, keep them safe, and let it pass. A steady, screen-free, early bedtime is the single best prevention for both terrors and nightmares.
Bring your observations and questions to your child’s professional. Choose activities that suit your child’s comfort, abilities and agreed plan.
Bring your questions to a first visitQuestions families ask
What is the difference between a nightmare and a night terror?
A nightmare is a scary dream in the second half of the night that your child wakes from and can usually remember. A night terror happens in the first few hours of deep sleep — your child seems terrified, may scream or thrash, but isn't truly awake and remembers nothing the next morning.
At what age are night terrors most common?
Night terrors are most common between about 2 and 7 years, when the brain is still learning to move smoothly between sleep stages. They almost always settle on their own as a child grows.
Should I wake my child during a night terror?
No. Trying to wake or restrain your child can prolong the episode and distress them. Stay calm, gently keep them safe, and let it pass — it usually lasts only a few minutes.
When should I be concerned about my child's sleep?
Seek a professional check if episodes happen most nights, cause daytime exhaustion, involve breathing pauses or sudden jerking, or appear alongside worries about speech, behaviour or emotional regulation.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
References behind this answer.
- Organisation website · further readingAAP HealthyChildren — childhood sleep and nightmares
- Organisation website · further readingCDC — child development and sleep
- Organisation website · further readingWHO Nurturing Care Framework — early childhood wellbeing
References are supplied with this answer. An organisation homepage offers further reading; it does not establish an independent review of this page.
Content attribution: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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