Night terrors

by Kathy W
(Hamden, CT)

Is there a connection between night terrors and SPD?

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Jan 12, 2016
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starstarstar 		Night Terrors/Sensory Overload
by: Anonymous

I'm diagnosed with SPD and as a kid between the ages of around 10 and 14 I used to have these night terrors where I would wake up in the middle of the night and it felt like the texture of the blankets that were touching me was too much. I find it hard to explain but the best I can say is that it was all 'too much'. It would feel like I was suffocating, like i had to fix all the creases in the blankets and when I tried to it just made it worse. I'd try sleeping in my parents room or going and getting some water and then getting back in bed but most of the time it would stay. Is this just another symptom of sensory overload and a part of SPD?
Mar 09, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		night terrors
by: Anonymous

As a child I suffered night terrors which were textural related. I have never been diagnose but always wondered about them. Mine had to do with rough and smooth surface area esp. Sheets and blankets...to me there surface almost conflicted to me when touched like a overwhelming smooth or rough...
May 03, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Input night terros and spd
by: Anonymous

Hello I have a 2 yr. old son who has yet to be evaluated for spd however I am fairly certain that is the issue. I am a social education teacher who works with children who have autism and have been expressing my concerns over my son's sensory issues for the past year. She kept telling me not to worry but I think it is time to find another pediatrician. He had an EEG because he had terrible night terrors and episodes that mimicked them when becoming extremely upset..for example during a hair cut. I have found diet and a routine sleep schedule to help tremendously however, he still has a definite aversion and or fear to certain activities ie hair cuts, touching paydoh or paints etc...and to the Dr. after the initial round of immunizations...does anyone have a similar situation??? I find my background in autism has helped but would like further input while waiting for our consult. Also, he also must sleep with us or he has a complete meltdown.
Oct 21, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Night Terrors
by: Carrie

My son will be 7 in less than a month and he has been suffering from night terrors since he was 2 1/2. He was also diagnosed with SPD last week. I have always found the more active he is right before bed the worse. He also sleeps with a fan on in his room every night which really seems to help.
Aug 04, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		thanks for your reply
by: Kathy

My son is 11 and was never a good sleeper, he doesn't get them as much any more. He also has food allergies and is a very picky eater. He has issues with taste, textures and smells of foods. Hehashis physical on Tuesday and we will start there.

Thank you for your reply.
Aug 04, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Night Terrors
by: Anonymous

Our daughter with SPD also struggled with night terrors as a preschooler. Sleep issues are a part of their nervous system's inability to regulate itself properly.

The two things we found that helped were:

1) being vigilant about protecting her sleep (no late nights ever) and making sure she took a nap (even if that meant driving her around in the car to get her to sleep)

AND

2) going gluten free (this helped immensely with a number of SPD symptoms

We've discovered that good sleep is absolutely essential to good behavior so even though the above suggestions seem difficult, it's most definitely worth the effort!

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