What is a nightmare

How to help your child to cope with nightmares

As most of us will remember, common themes are being chased by a monster or animal, being lost or being stuck somewhere you can’t escape from. While the subjects are extreme and frightening at the time, nightmares are perfectly normal reactions to the stresses and strains of growing up and are often caused by a healthy development of the imagination. However they can also be triggered during particularly stressful times in a young person’s life and involve worries about family members. In older children they are often associated with perceived imminent danger or harm.
Nightmares are very common in children between the ages of 6 and 10 years, but both younger and older children also experience nightmares. About a quarter of children have at least one nightmare a week.
Nightmares occur in Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM) or ‘dreaming’ sleep. So they usually happen in the second half of the night towards the morning, when REM sleep becomes more frequent.

Your child is quite likely to call out or come to you in some distress following a nightmare. The best thing to do is to comfort and reassure your child, letting them know they are safe and secure. Once they are calm and happy they will usually go back to sleep.
It is important to remember that under the age of four to five, children cannot tell the difference between a dream and reality, so it is particularly important to give them reassuring cuddles and comfort, rather than explaining the nightmare away at this time.
If your child has recurrent nightmares about the same thing, try talking through this the next day and help them think up a happy endings. This can help to defuse the power of the nightmare and the hold its repetition may have on your child. If there is a reoccurring monster theme make the monster into a character of fun. During the day draw silly monster pictures with your child and make up silly monster songs: you could also set up a dream catcher in their bedroom to catch bad dreams.

Talk to your child to help identify what might be the cause of their nightmare. It is best to do this during the day well away from bedtime. Discussing your child’s worries just as they are going to bed could trigger worries or scary thoughts and prevent them going to sleep. Instead have 10 to 15 minutes of undisturbed 1 to 1 time with your child earlier in the day, that you set aside especially to discuss their concerns.
After you’ve said goodnight consider using a relaxation and breathing technique or a simple hand or foot massage to help relax your child at bedtime.

Children who don’t have enough sleep are more likely to have nightmares. Helping your child to have more sleep, could reduce the frequency of their nightmares.

If your child gets anxious about you leaving at bedtime, explain that you will regularly check in on them. Return after only 2 to 5 minutes and from the doorway, briefly reassure your child. Keep repeating this until they go to sleep or is happy for you leave.

Having a security object in bed overnight such as a special cuddly toy can help your child feel more relaxed and happy at bedtime and throughout the night.

Vet all the books, TV programmes and media your child could be watching or over hearing. Many traditional bedtime stories feature wolves, witches and bears and your child may well be quietly listening to things that you are not aware of.

This problem is widespread among young children and starts when their imagination kicks in. Children do eventually grow out of this fear, but in the meantime it can make them reluctant to go to bed and can wake them at night.
Most children are reassured by the presence of a night light in their bedroom. Set up a dim amber or orange glow light in your child’s bedroom, this will not stop them sleeping but will help the room feel less scary.
Go into your child’s bedroom when it’s dark and with a child’s eye look around the bedroom to see if there is anything in the room that could look scary at night. A favourite cuddly toy in the day can turn into a scary monster in the dark.

If your child is having regular severe nightmares you may need to discuss this with your GP.