If your child wakes you in the night by shouting, screaming or thrashing about – all while they're still asleep – they could be having confusional arousals. But what exactly are these sleep disorders and how should you deal with them?

We've got all you need to know about confusional arousals, below.

And for even more expert advice to help your child sleep better, Fairy Non Bio are on hand to help. We're working with Fairy Non Bio to share six tips for a snuggly soft bedtime routine to give you and your little one the best night’s sleep. Find out more by following #SnugglySoftBedtimes.

What are confusional arousals?

Confusional arousals are sleep disorders that occur when your child is in a mixed state of being partly awake and partly asleep.

They usually happen during the first half of the night, when your child is coming out of the deepest stage of sleep, although if they have several during the night, they may spill over into the second half, too.

They're most common in children under six, and typically start at around 18 months. It's thought that about 17% of kids are affected and most will outgrow the problem.

How to spot the signs of confusional arousals

Unlike night terrors , which begin suddenly, confusional arousals often start with a child moaning and fidgeting.

In a mild confusional arousal, they may simply wake up, look around, appear disorientated and then go back to sleep.

In more severe cases, your child might become very restless and agitated, kicking and thrashing around in bed or even standing up. It may look as if they are having a tantrum.

They are likely to seem confused and disorientated.

Although your child's eyes are open during a confusional arousal, they are not awake, so won't respond if you try to comfort them. In fact, you should avoid trying to wake your child as they may become aggressive.

A confusional arousal will usually settle after five to 10 minutes, but they can go on for as long as 45 minutes.

After this, your child will go back to sleep and have no recollection of the episode the next day.

What causes confusional arousals?

Confusional arousals in toddlers and pre-school children are more likely if your child's normal sleep pattern is disturbed, for example by a change to their daytime nap routine, travel or a stressful event like moving house or starting nursery .

They can also be triggered by overtiredness, a high temperature and certain medications.

Confusional arousals often run in families, and are more common in kids who have night terrors or sleepwalk.

Helping your child with confusional arousals

There's not much you can do to treat confusional arousals, and most children eventually grow out of them.

Unlike with nightmares , your child is unlikely to have any memory of a confusional arousal when they wake, so discussing it with them tends not to help. You can, however, try to have a more general chat to see if something is making your little one feel stressed or anxious.

If your child continues to have confusional arousals over the age of six, it's worth discussing it with your doctor to rule out other conditions such as sleep apnoea (episodes of interrupted breathing overnight).

In the meantime:

• Ensure your child is getting enough sleep
• Make sure their bedroom is safe to avoid accidental injury
• Let each episode run its course, without interfering (unless your child wants to be comforted or you need to keep them safe)
• Don't make a big deal of it
• Keep to regular day and night-time routines to help set their body clock.
  

Fairy Non Bio and the GOSH experts have lots of suggestions for bedtime routines. Check out the #FairyTales hashtag on social media for more.