Put Bad Dreams To Bed

You can’t stop the nightmares, but you can help your kids cope

We’ve all had them-nightmares that cause us to wake up sweating and trembling. Almost all kids have nightmares from time to time. These usually occur during the last third of the night (between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.) in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is when we actually dream.

As a parent, you cannot always stop these bad dreams from happening. But you can deal with them effectively when they happen again. Here are some important things to remember:

*Don’t give them the ammunition One of the most common causes of bad dreams is a frightening experience, which happened earlier in the day. So don’t let them watch television programs or read books with aliens, ghost, or monsters before bedtime.

*Leave a light on This will not always put a stop nightmares,but it can often help. Sometimes a child will start having terrifying thoughts before he falls asleep. This happens much less if he can see what’s around him. Also, when a child wakens abruptly from a bad dream, he will probably be in a very bad state. Having a light on will help him calm down much faster.

*Reassure him It’s important to make him feel safe and secure. Help him understand that nothing bad is going to happen, and that all boys and girls have bad dreams. Give him a big hug; tell him that you will always be there.

Another kind of bad dream is called a night terror. This taken place earlier in the night (between 1 a.m and 3 a.m) during the deep stage of non-REM sleep. This is when child wakes up screaming with his eyes wipe open, when in reality, he is still asleep. The child will unexpectedly sit up. usually sweating profusely; shout out loud for a few seconds, before lying back down and returning to a normal sleep. When this happens, do not try to wake him. This can make then situation worse. Instead wait for the terror to pass and then try to settle him back into bed. This is something that he’ll outgrow, and happens less often than nightmares. Don’t worry. Ti would be helpful to set aside time at the breakfast table every morning to talk about your child’s dreams. Doing this lets your child know that this is a safe and even fun part of life to be shared. Drawing dreams. making a game of dress up, and fixing the scary ending in a make-believe drama are also good ways to help your child express his dreams. This will ultimately make him feel that he has power over both the subconscious and conscious events in his daily life. Share some of your dream, too!