![]() (Don’t say, "Oh, there’s nothing to be afraid of.")Īs much as possible, encourage your child to fall back asleep in her own room to teach her that it’s a safe space - and avoid adopting a ritual of bringing her into your bed every time she has a nightmare. Start by holding her or rubbing her back and reassuring her that everything’s all right.Įxplaining "It was just a dream" most likely won’t mean much to a 2-year-old, but you can say something like, "You were just pretending in your sleep." Double-check under the bed and in spooky-looking closets, or talk about a happy memory (her best buddy’s birthday party, for instance). Try not to minimize your little one’s fears. Helping your child settle back down after a nightmare may be hard, but she still needs those last few hours of sleep. A lot of times, working out fears and anxieties is what nightmares are all about.Īn erratic sleep schedule, lack of sleep, fever or certain medications can also trigger nightmares. Maybe your toddler saw a scary-looking spider or just had a spat with a friend at preschool.Ĭhange can trigger terrifying dreams too - whether it’s a new teacher, a new work schedule for you or your partner, or a new sibling. Sleep cycles also last longer than in babyhood, with more time spent in light "dream” sleep, leaving the door open to more nightmares.īecause kids can have a hard time separating reality from make-believe, any number of things in their waking life can cause stress and anxiety that leads to nightmares. Kids this age are processing a whole lot of new information every day, and their improving memory allows them to recall images and sounds from their busy days realistically at night. They can occur more than once a night, although some kids seem to have more than others. Night terrors usually strike the first few hours after your toddler hits the sack, during deep, non-REM sleep, and may last up to 45 minutes - although most are much shorter. How Much Time Do Parents Really Spend Getting Kids to Bed? Someone Has (Finally) Found the Answer Unlike a nightmare, your child won’t remember her terrors when she wakes (even though you will). She may shout for you, but she can’t sense your presence or be comforted by you. Your child’s eyes may open wide and she might scream, thrash around, pant, have a sweaty brow or even sleepwalk, but she’s still sound asleep. When you come to the rescue, your child is likely to cling desperately to you because she remembers the dream, and if she’s verbal she’ll likely want to tell you about it so that you can reassure her it’s not real.īut night terrors aren’t associated with visual imagery like dreams and nightmares are. ![]() How can you tell the difference between nightmares and night terrors?Ī child having a nightmare may seem a little restless while dreaming, but it’s not until she’s fully awake that the panic, screaming and crying begins. And they’re very common: Roughly half of children ages 3 to 6 report having nightmares. Though nightmares can occur at any point during the night, they tend to take place during lighter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which happens more in the early morning hours. She also may have a hard time falling back asleep after the nightmare. When your toddler has a nightmare, she’ll remember it and - if she’s verbal - she may want to discuss it with you. Toddler nightmares are unpleasant, realistic, bad dreams that wake your little one from sleep.
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