Problems with sleep, including toddler night terrors, is something that comes up a lot in my work. And just like a sugar bug can point to poor digestion, sleep troubles have their own meaning in Chinese medicine.
When my three-year-old starting waking up and screaming at night, thoroughly in a rage that I was trying to comfort him, I quickly managed the situation with herbs and all was well again.
Weâre talking peaceful zzzzzâs from my kiddo and a big sigh of relief from me.
What are night terrors?
If your toddler wakes up screaming in their sleep and doesnât remember who you are or where theyâre at, you may be dealing with a night terror.
Night terrors, sleep talking, and sleepwalking belong to a group of sleep disorders called non-REM parasomnias.
Toddler night terrors, also called sleep terrors, usually show up with the following features:
- Occurs within the first three hours deep sleep, or the first half of sleep for the night
- Your little one wakes abruptly, screaming, panicked, and fully agitated
- Thereâs talking, but it doesnât make sense
- Any attempt to comfort your child makes the situation worse
- By morning, thereâs usually no memory of what happened
Night terrors happen more frequently in boys and are uncommon after puberty. The age range that we tend to see them in is 1 â 12 years old.
In contrast, nightmares usually happen in the towards morning. Youâll see less anxiety, talking, and movement. When your little one has a nightmare, theyâre also easily woken up and can remember their dream.
Figuring out whether youâre dealing with nightmares or night terrors can get tricky because sometimes little ones have both.
What causes toddler night terrors?
While some folks argue that co-sleeping is the ultimate remedy for night terrors, I personally think this is wishful thinking and oversimplification.
Why? Because itâs suspected that iron deficiency during babyhood may be at the root of sleep disorders.
This is one of the reasons I emphasize meaty minerals like iron in babyâs first foods.
And when it comes to parasomnias like night terrors and sleepwalking, genetics also appear to play a role.
Lastly, if you ask around, youâll find that plenty of co-sleeping babes (hi, thatâs us) experience night terrors.
How much sleep do kids need?
At around 3 months of age, babyâs circadian system matures and you start seeing a sleep rhythm (and all the angels sing). By 6 months, youâve got full sleep cycles happening.
But this doesnât necessarily mean uninterrupted sleep. No, it does not.
By some estimates, 50-30% of parents report sleep problems during those early years, when babies and toddlers are getting 14 â 12 hours of sleep daily, with at least one nap.
Deep sleep (when night terrors happen) takes place during the first half of the night. The amount of deep sleep that littles need increases during the first year of life and then peaks in childhood.
Sleep gives the body an opportunity to rest and recover from the day. Itâs also essential for:
- Learning
- Memory
- School performance
Ultimately, good sleep supports development. So we want to make sure our kids get the rest that they need.
Babies, from a TCM perspective
TCM = traditional Chinese medicine.
There are some basic principles in Chinese medicine that can help us understand children. These principles are based on our natural environment.
When it comes to night terrors and sleep troubles, itâs useful to know that:
- Babies have âpure yang.â Little ones are understood to have âpureâ and robust energy. This is often called âpure yang,â where thereâs an abundance of potential and growth. Makes sense, right? Babies got nowhere to grow but up.
- Babies have liver excess. This natural surplus of âpure yangâ fuels growth and is connected to the TCM liver, which is NOT the physical liver.
- Babies have weak digestion. This is totally normal and not necessarily a red flag. You can find out more about baby digestion here.
How to stop night terrors in toddlers
Some folks just want the fix. Others are interested in the mechanism.
Iâve got both.
The remedy for night terrors in children, including my own toddler, is based on a formula called Yi Gan San. Also called ârestrain the liver powder.â
Yi Gan San comes from a text published in 1556 (you read that right) called Synopsis of Caring for Infants. And it really emphasizes that babies are not just tiny adults.
So what does Yi Gan San do?
It cools heat from liver excess and builds blood. And it can harmonize the relationship between the liver and poor digestion, which is also called âwood overacting on earth.â
Originally, Yi Gan San was used for:
- Liver channel spasms, think restless leg syndrome
- Teeth grinding
- Palpitations with anxiety
- Insomnia and restless sleep
When using this formula, you would want to look for other âwood overacting on earthâ signs, like irritability, a tendency to shout, and tummy troubles.
The pediatric herbs I use for night terrors are a modified version of Yi Gan San, called Peaceful Focus from Blue Poppy.
This formula isnât just to get your kid to sleep. Itâs used to restore balance.
As such, you would want to use it throughout the day, not just in the evening.
Is there more science on herbs for night terrors?
Why, yes. Yes, there is!
Do you know what medication is prescribed for night terrors? Itâs called clonazepam, also known as Klonopin. Serious stuff, yâall.
Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine that suppresses stages three and four of non-REM sleep, which is when we see night terrors happen. Does suppressing the natural rhythm of sleep sound good to you?
Me neither.
But hereâs the thing: Some of the herbs in Yi Gan San have been found to bind to the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex, which explains how it also can help manage anxiety.
All without the side effects of hard prescription drugs.
Are you swooning yet over the efficacy of Chinese medicine? And how science is literally working its way backward to prove whatâs been known for centuries?
A word (or two) on melatonin
Melatonin may make your little one sleepy. But is it safe?
Researchers at the University of Adelaide warn doctors and parents not to use melatonin to manage sleep problems in children.
Professor David Kennaway at the University of Adelaideâs Robinson Research Institute explains,
The word âsafeâ is used very freely and loosely with this drug, but there have been no rigorous, long-term safety studies of the use of melatonin to treat sleep disorders in children and adolescents.
More recently, in 2023, the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine published a health advisory on melatonin use in children. Essentially, we’re seeing more melatonin use at home, without studies that show its safety.
This is worth noting because:
- From 2012 – 2021, there’s been a big increase in kids taking melatonin. According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the number increased from 8,000 to 52,000 and 15% of those kids were hospitalized for overdose.
- Variation in melatonin content is reported to be less than 83% – more than 478% of labeled content.Chewable tablets, which are given to kids, have the biggest variations in their formula.
- Chewable tablets, which are given to kids, have the biggest variations in their formula.
And if youâre wondering, the side effects of melatonin use in children include:
- Morning drowsiness
- Loss of bladder control
- Headache and dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Rash
- Low body temperature
All of which sounds less-than-amazing. Right? More like a band-aid and less like a solution that restores balance.
Struggling with a five year old son who has never slept through the night. Last six months terrible night terrors on top of restless sleep. I am going to try the Chinese herb link you suggest! Do you give your toddler the dosage found on the bottle? Thanks for this recc!
Hey Elizabeth,
Yes, for 5 years old I would follow the dosage on the bottle. Keep in touch and let me know how things go xxo!!
Hi Megan!
I just purchased the Chinese herbs you recommended via your link for night terrors. I am also curious about dosage, my daughter is 2.5 years old, and Iâm not clear on how much to give her! Thank you!
Hey Chantel!
At 2 and a half, you can give the recommended dosage of 2 droppers.
I would give three – fives times daily. For example, in the morning, afternoon, and evening. After six weeks, I would pause on the herbs and see how she does without them. And the herbs work pretty quickly, you might notice better sleep within 1 – 3 days.
xxo!!
Hello Megan, I was relieved to read your article and started using the herbs on my 3.5 yr old 5 days ago. Results starting night 2! 2 droppers morning, noon and night as you wrote to another commenter above. Iâm curious:
-could this also impact daytime sleep? My daughter had stopped napping regularly and has taken a few superrrrrrr long naps since starting the herbs (way longer than ever before!).
-if we stop the herbs in 6 wks to see how things are going and the terrors start up again, what would you recommend doing with the herbs? Take them again and for how long before testing the water again?
-presuming the night terrors are linked to stress for my kiddo, would it make sense to start using the herbs a few days before a known stressor will occur (new school, travel, etc)?
Thank you f up your wisdom!
So good to hear that the herbs are helping!! To answer your first question, naps can get extended since the formula is nourishing blood and clearing up heat = overall, it’s providing a solid foundation for the body to rest.
If the night terrors come back, I would continue with the formula or work with a local acupuncturist. I would expect sleep to improve and go through a shift – to the point where herbs aren’t needed for good sleep.
And I personally wouldn’t use the herbs prophylactically – if you know there’s going to be stress, for example. The beauty of Chinese medicine is that it meets the body where it’s at in that moment. So you want to look at what’s happening; she may be in a place where she handle stressors and it won’t affect her sleep. Which is great! You want to give the body what it needs when it need it đ
Hi Chantel, I am really curious to know the results on your daughter who is the age of mine! Did you see good results?
xx
Thank you for the info. Would you recommend this for a 9 month old who is showing some night terror signs?
Same curious to know if appropriate for an infant stage? Before this develops into more than a sleep regression.
Hey Kyndra and Meg,
It depends on what else is happening with baby. In TCM, we call it differential diagnosis – you really want to work with the whole picture!
I find that the Tender Teeth also soothes him. Are these two herbs interchangeable or is one more
specific for night terrors?
Hey Arlen,
They’re not interchangeable and work differently. With Peaceful Focus, you’re addressing that wood-earth relationship I talk about in the blog post. Tender Teeth is based on a traditional formula for insomnia (that more affects the TCM heart) so YES, it can definitely help with sleep!
Great Q xxo!!
My 2.5 year old, who has been a great sleeper, has been waking up multiple times a night the last week. I wouldnât say night terrors, as he will ask for his favorite toy and go right back to sleep. Would this herb still help with that?
Hey Andrea,
This formula can be useful for restless sleep. If you think there may be some level of daytime stress or changes in his environment that are related to the shift in his sleep patterns, then I would use it.
xxo!!
Hi Megan! Great post. Quick question for clarification, where would I find information regarding contraindications for this remedy and prescription medication? My 6 year old struggles with anxiety/restlessness/night terrors/talking in her sleep but is in mediation for Chiari Malformation. Any advice/direction would be super! Thank you.
Hi Marcy,
Great question and thank you for bringing it up!
The best thing to do would be to work directly with a pediatric acupuncturist. There *are* interactions between pharmaceutical medications and herbs, this is something licensed acupuncturists are trained in.
xxo!
Hi Megan,
thank you for this informational post!
My 3yo has regular Night terrors episode and has also other symptoms of iron deficiency (delayed growth just to name one!).
She has liver once every 2-3 weeks but she doesn’t eat a lot of quantity in general.
She is not a picky eater but won’t eat a lot.
Do you think I should supplement her? Is it too late?
Thank you so much for your help!
Hey SofiMei,
I can’t make a direct recommendation without more information. But some TCM herbs that support blood in this formula (like dang gui) can also boost iron levels. So it’s working on multiple levels.
xxo!!
My 3 year old wakes with the terrors and also itches at night mostly on the legs. We have been trying to treat her eczema from 6 months old. Could this remedy also be good for the skin. She is always warm and is also a hot sleeper.
Hey Debbie,
The formula doesn’t contain herbs for the skin or itchiness, but it can help when there are sleep or behavior issues related to histamine overload. The best way to target sleep and skin would be to work with an acupuncturist + some diet and nutritional adjustments unique to your daughter. Hope this helps!!
Hi there,
I see this isnât available on Amazon anymore. Is there another one you recommend?
Hi Ashlee,
Thanks for heads up!
The formula (a variation of Yi Gan San) is Blue Poppy’s Peaceful Focus here.
xxo!!
My 21 month old has been refusing naps and bedtime. He wakes up screaming and is inconsolable. He used to be such a good sleeper, will this help him?
Hey Andreea,
Possibly! I would also want to make sure he’s not running a fever, coming down with something, or even getting in back molars. Other things to look at would be stool and/or skin rash.
It’s tough to say without more health history. Hope this helps xxo!!
Hello,
My 3 year old has been dealing with sleep troubles for a year now. She sleeps decent but she has trouble falling asleep at night and she has been waking up in the middle of the night crying with no apparent reason. She just gives random reasons that donât make sense. She gets pretty inconsolable unless we bring her into our bed. Do you think the quiet calm will help her episodes at night? Iâm not sure out of the three liquids you have recommended on the full script site, which one to go with.
Hey Ashley,
I would start with the Peaceful Focus from Blue Poppy. If you want to do a deep dive, we can book a call together. You can also email me if you have any questions.
This is definitely workable! xxo!!