What should I do if my toddler wakes up screaming and sweats at night?

[Noah32]

My three-year-old has been waking up screaming and drenched in sweat almost every night for a week. It’s not a typical nightmare because she’s hard to console and doesn’t seem fully awake. We’re worried it might be something more than just bad dreams, but our pediatrician said it could be a parasomnia and to just keep her safe. Has anyone else gone through this phase with their little one?

[MarkRJ]

We went through this last winter. Our little one woke screaming, drenched in sweat, seemed not fully awake. We stayed close, kept the room safe, and tried a simple, soothing bedtime routine. It faded after a couple of weeks.

[Nathan8]

I kept a little notebook for a month—time of night, what happened, what we did. Some episodes hit after a big day at daycare or a late nap. We dialed back screens, cooled the room a bit, and nudged bedtime earlier. It helped slowly, but didn’t disappear overnight.

[Mia_R]

The term parasomnia came up in a chat with another parent. Our pediatrician said to keep her safe during episodes and not to try to wake her. We stayed nearby with calm presence and followed a steady routine.

[Emma92]

Sometimes I still wonder if there’s more to it than sleep events—like stress from the day or something else. Do you think it’s the real problem, or is there another thing going on that we’re missing?