There are a few problems that can cause a child to scream at night. The most common problem is called “sleep terrors.” These occur when the child pierces the night with a "blood-curdling" scream or shout. The child will look frightened, with eyes wide-open and heart racing.

The scream can include kicking and thrashing. The child may even jump out of bed and run around the house. A young person in this situation does not know where he is or what he is doing. This can cause him to hurt himself or others without knowing it.

Sleep terrors are common between the ages of four and 12. These episodes can be quite disturbing to parents or other observers. Thankfully, the child usually wakes up with no memories of the episode.

Sleep terrors tend to occur in the first half of the night. They are not related to the dreaming stage of sleep. Sleep terrors are not a sign of mental problems. They usually go away by themselves.

Richard S. Rosenberg, PhD
Updated March 1, 2005