|  There's a big difference between nightmares and night terrors. In this post, the focus is on night terrors and how they're different from nightmares. This article is from the book "What to Expect the Toddler Years" (pg 313-314) aka The Toddler Bible. lol. It's long, but very informative. Have any other toddler questions? email me, and i'll post answers up for you.
"Though frightening to witness, night terrors aren't cause for parental concern or action.
In fact, other than making certain that the house is safe for your toddler should he sleepwalk during a night terror and sitting by to see that he doesn't hurt himself while tharashing around, there's little you can do when an episode of night terror strikes. If one strikes again (and it won't necessarily), don't hug your child or hold him down; doing so will only make him more agitated--and he may even push you away. Don't try to wake him up, either, no matter how frantic he seems, as this will only prolong the event. Instead, just watch and wait. Night terrors generally end ten to thrity minutes after they begin, at which time your toddler should calm down (w/o making) and you'll be able to tuck him back into bed for a peaceful res-of-the-night sleep. Blessedly, once a night terror is over, it's over. When he gets up the next morning, your toddler will likely have no recollection of the event, though he may seem a bit anxious. Since night terrors occur more often when a child is overtired, be sure your child's schedule is not too hectic and that he's getting enough sleep. Most children outgrow night terrors by the time they are ready to start grade school, around age six. If yours doesn't, or if he has more than 3 episodes a year, check w/ his doctor. There is a very slim possiblity that the problem is nocturnal seizure disorder, which can be controlled w/ meds if necessary. The signs include peculiar, repetitive, sometimes violent movements, shaking legs, and flapping arms."
"NIGHTMARES vs. NIGHT TERRORS
Your toddler wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Was it a bad dream or a night terror? It's easy to tell if you know the difference.
1- FREQUENCY. Bad dreams, or nightmares,occur more frequently than night terrors. Still, most children have experience at least one episode of night terrors during the toddler or preschool years. When children have frequent night terrors, there's usually a family history of such episodes. Some children appear to have night terrors as early as six months old(usually characterized by extreme restlessness and thrashing during sleep).
2-TIMING. Night terrors usually occur in the early hours of sleep, most often between one and four hours after a child goes to bed. Nightmares strike later, during the second half of the night's sleep.
3-STAGE OF SLEEP. Nightmares occur during REM, or dream, sleep, which is the light sleep phase. Though the child sleeps through the scream, he or she awakens after it, usually terrified. Night terrors are a partial arousal from a very deep(non-REM)sleep. Children experiencing them usually do not awaken fully, unless they are roused.
4-MANIFESTATIONS. During a night terror, a child usually perspires profusely, has a very rapid heart beat, and appears frightened and confused. The child may call out for you, yet push you away. He/she may scream, cry, moan, talk, or thrash around. The eyes may be open, or staring, even bulging, but the child is still asleep. A child having a nightmare, on the other hand, may seem a little restless while dreaming, but it's not until he/she is fully awake that the panic, w/ plenty of crying and screaming, begins. When a parent comes to the rescue, the child is likely to cling desperately. A verbal child may try to describe the nightmare but will not recall a night terror.
5-DURATION. Night terrors can last from ten to thirty minutes, after which the child usually continues to sleep. A nightmare is usually brief, and is followed by waking. The duration of the period of panic following it varies from child to child and episode to episode."
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