E-mail

From: Xmas
To: My Entire Moms Group
Time: 3am


Hey Guys,

I'm calling on you all again for your mother-wisdom, hoping to appeal to the inner psychologist in you. Not sure if I'm making sense, I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open...in other words, help! Does this sound like a night terror?

Jacob wakes up (I think he is awake?) in the middle of the night and you know that scene from Dumb & Dumber where Jim Carey is all "wanna hear the world's most annoying noise? eeeeeennnnnnn!!!" Imagine that sound...not really crying, but almost like moaning. Well Jacob makes a sound like that, he kicks his legs around, trashes at us if we try to comfort him. We can't bring him out of it no matter we do, on a rare occasion can we actually get him to answer us. Tonight when questioned what's wrong, he said "I wanna play with it...." and then trailed off. That's the most frustrating part because we're so close to getting what feels like the solution to this whole problem but are left wondering what "it" is.

This will last for 20 minutes or more (no exaggeration) and eventually he tires himself out. He never remembers it in the morning. He's been getting these bursts since he was 2. It hasn't let up. When he was younger I decided it was restless leg syndrome because he usually always kicks his legs around uncomfortably. I still think he has RLS, but this can't be only that. It happens almost every night now. We're tired and can't function during the day. The doctor's office of course can't see us for his 5 year check-up until December and I just can't wait for an answer until then.

I know night terrors are extremely common among kids this age, but do they last this long - in years and in length of episode?? Do your kids have night terrors? When will it stop, what can I do to help him and is it normal?

THANKS for you ears.

Stacey