The first time my son had a night terror I genuinely thought something was seriously wrong. He was screaming, his eyes were open, he looked awake, but he did not respond to me at all. I picked him up and he pushed me away. It lasted about 10 minutes and then he went back to sleep as if nothing had happened. In the morning he had no memory of it. Night terrors and nightmares are both common in toddlers but they are very different experiences, for the child and for the parent. Night terrors happen during deep non-REM sleep, usually in the first few hours after falling asleep. Your child appears awake: eyes open, sometimes sitting up or standing, often crying or screaming. But they are not conscious. They cannot be comforted because they are not actually awake. They will have no memory of it the next day. What to do during a night terror: stay calm, ensure they are physically safe, do not try to wake them or restrain them, do not turn on bright lights. Wait it out. It will pass. Nightmares happen during REM sleep, usually in the second half of the night. Your child wakes up genuinely distressed and aware. They may be able to tell you something scared them. They need comfort and reassurance. Cuddles, calm voice, reassurance that they are safe. Night terrors are more common between ages 1 and 5 and are often triggered by overtiredness, illness, or changes in routine. Nightmares become more common as imagination develops, typically from around age 2 to 3 onwards. Both are normal. Neither requires medical attention unless they are extremely frequent, involve complex behaviours, or are causing significant daytime distress.