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Expert Q&A

	By iParenting Staff iParenting Staff Experts

My 6-month-old son will not sleep in his crib at night. He screams as if in pain or terrified. I am at my wit's end. He sleeps fine in his room during the day, but NOT at night. I suffered from night terrors as a child. Could my son be suffering from the same?

It would be almost unheard of for a 6-month-old to have night terrors. Night terrors are most common in the preschool age group and happen when the child is in Stage 4 (the deepest stage) of sleep. They are most often disoriented, but very frightened, upon awakening.

It is possible that a 6-month-old may be suffering from colic, but that is difficult to tell from the description given. It is possible that the darkness makes your son uncomfortable, but, again, that would be unusual in a child so young. Trying a nightlight may offer some benefit. Frequently, parents experience problems at night when moving an infant from their room to his own room, or from a bassinet to a crib. If this is the case, the child will usually adjust after a few weeks.

In short, your description doesn't contain enough information to diagnose a specific problem, but night terrors are probably not the cause. If it continues, professional advice should be sought.

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