Marie, I was wondering if my six-month-old baby can have night terrors, as they wake up frequently in an agitated state, which is not normal. I am not sure what is causing this. Can you help? Thanks, Charlotte

Hello Charlotte, in fact, night terrors usually occur after one year. The baby can scream and cry at night, even though they look like they are still sleeping and are having a bad dream. They become more agitated. They may wake up to be comforted, but for a six-month-old, I would say that the situation is likely caused by separation anxiety, which is part of the healthy development of a child. I know that the signs are similar sometimes, crying and screaming at night. But for separation anxiety, they are awake and can see you, be picked up and comforted. Yes, this is stressful, but it is also different from night terrors. In both cases, it’s a passing stage, and everything will go back to normal after a time.

Please read my article about Baby Sleep.

Talk soon,

Marie
The Baby Expert