The first step in helping your little one move past their night terrors is recognizing what they are in the first place. This can be tricky because many parents assume their kid is simply having a nightmare at first. But don't be fooled — sleep terrors are very, very different from nightmares, even though they may not seem so at first.
"Night terrors are different from nightmares because children can be awakened from a nightmare, talk about it, and remember it; however, a child with a sleep or night terror can't be awakened from it, nor can they talk about it, and usually the child does not remember it the next morning," says website Sleep Disorder Help.
The one thing you should never do? Wake your little one up in the middle of a night terror, since they'll most likely be confused and it'll be difficult to calm them down.
