The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Seven-Year-Old Boy Wakes Screaming And Crying

by Anonymous

My son is a typical seven-year-old boy who is generally a happy child. However as parents my husband and I have found ourselves at a loss for what to do to help our son. At night we put him to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 PM only for him to awaken screaming, crying, and sweating, yet he can't tell us what he's screaming about.


He has even gotten up mumbling things that don't make sense and stumbled back to bed, then when we ask him about it the next day he has no recollection of it ever happening. This can occur three to five nights a week, causing him to feel tired the next day and to want to go to bed earlier.

I was married before to a man whose child was labeled ADHD, OCD, and odd. He dealt with many child psychologists and child protective services because the school didn't understand his behavior.

As I know the signs and symptoms of ADHD I know this not to be an issue with my son yet. I worry they could mislabel my son since so many young boys are plagued with ADHD. My son acts fine and his behavior isn't bad, he's just tired because it seems his body isn't going into the sleep realm.

I've mentioned this to his doctor before to have his sleep issues blamed on caffeine or sugar. We took him off of all caffeine and limited sugar for quite a while and it did not make a difference. I'm at a loss for what to do. Any suggestions?

Comments for Seven-Year-Old Boy Wakes Screaming And Crying

Click here to add your own comments

Sep 12, 2015
 You May Want To Look Into Sleep Terrors
by: Kevin

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your story with us, and we hope your son experiences better sleep soon.

You may find some helpful information in the EYSD article on sleep terrors. Best wishes for your family.
Nov 03, 2015
 Same situation NEW
by: Tracie

You have described my 8yr old daughter to a T. She often "wakes" freaking out about something but is so incoherent that we struggle to understand her. She gets up exhausted the next morning oblivious to it all.
Dec 09, 2015
 I feel your frustration! NEW
by: Anonymous

My daughter who is now almost 8 years old has been doing this ever since she was 2! It's not as often, maybe once a month, but sometimes more frequently. I'm actually dealing with this tonight! She has been dealing with some sinus issues which is making her throat hurt and she was crying for about an hour straight before bed so I believe that triggered the episode tonight. I don't have any advice for you, as I am trying to research advice right now and stumbled upon your story. Just know that you are not alone!
Feb 10, 2016
 Artificial dye NEW
by: Anonymous

I hope I'm not too late to the game, but your children are allergic to artificial dye. Remove dye from their diets. You'll see miracles!
Apr 26, 2016
 artificial dye? NEW
by: Anonymous

intrigued, can you tell me more?
Oct 02, 2016
 8 years old wakeup crying NEW
by: Anonymous

My 8 years old daughter is having exactly the same problem. please post the answer to that dilemma, if anyone finds it.
Jan 20, 2017
 My son has the same issue. :( NEW
by: Anonymous

Its not always screaming. But my generally happy well loved five year old will whimper whine and cry some nights multiple times. I turn on the light in parent mode and ask him what's wrong. He will reply nothing. So then I ask, why are u crying? Then incoherent babbling. I don't get it and I'm worried about the poor little guy. Its frustrating to me, but its not like I blame him. But it keeps me up too some nights.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Experiences With Sleep Disorders In Children.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.