Nightmares,
Night Terrors and Fears
The
lack of adequate, restful sleep can affect your child’s
mood, behavior, health, memory and growth. If there is anything
standing in the way of a good night’s sleep for your
child it’s important to address the issue and solve
the problem. Following is a list of typical sleep disrupters
and possible solutions.
Nightmares
Children
spend more time dreaming than adults do, so they have many
more dreams—both good and bad. Telling young children
after a nightmare that “It was just a dream”
doesn’t explain what they experienced, since they
don’t understand the fantasy aspect of dreams –
after all, most of them believe that the tooth fairy and
Big Bird are real. Keeping this in mind, it is best to comfort
children in the same way we comfort them when they face
a tangible fear. If your child wakes with a nightmare:
-
Be
there and offer comfort.
-
Stay with your child until she feels relaxed and ready
to sleep.
-
Stay calm and convey to your child that what’s happening
is normal and that all is well.
-
Reassure your child that he’s safe and that it’s
OK to go back to sleep.
 Night
Terrors
During
a night terror your child will wake suddenly and she may
scream or cry. Her eyes will be open, but she won’t
be seeing. She may hyperventilate, thrash around or talk
incoherently. She may be sweating and flushed. She may seem
scared, but your child is not frightened, not awake, and
not dreaming. She’s asleep and in a zone between two
sleep cycles.
A
child having a night terror is unaware of what’s happening,
and won’t remember the episode in the morning. So
the terror part of night terrors is named for the parent
who watches the disturbing scene.
During
a night terror you may try to hold your child, but often
this will result in his pushing you away or fighting you
off. The best response is a gentle pat, along with comforting
words or Shhh Shhh sounds. If your child gets out of bed
you can lead him back. If he’s sitting up you can
guide him to lie back down. Just keep an eye on him until
he settles back to sleep.
Night time Fears
It’s
normal for a child to imagine monsters or other things that
generate a fear of the dark. Even if you explain, and even
if you assure him that he’s safe, he may still be
scared. You may reduce his fears when you:
-
Teach
your child the difference between real and fantasy through
discussion and book-reading.
-
Find ways to help your child confront and overcome his
fears. If dark shadows are creating suspicious shapes,
give your child a flashlight to keep at his bedside.
-
Leave soothing lullabies playing, or white noise sounds
running to fill the quiet.
-
Give
your child one, two, or a zoo of stuffed animals to sleep
with.
-
Put
a small pet, like a lizard, turtle, or fish, in your child’s
room for company.
-
Take a stargazing walk, build a campfire, or have a candlelight
dinner to make the dark more friendly.
-
Ask
your child what will make him feel better.
Preventing Sleep Disrupters
Some
things have been found to reduce the number or severity
of sleep-disturbing episodes. Since they are all based on
good sleep practices, they are worth a try:
-
Follow a calm and peaceful routine the hour before bedtime.
-
Maintain
a consistent bed time seven days a week.
-
Avoid
books and movies that disturb or frighten your child.
-
Have your child take a daily nap.
-
Provide your child with a light snack an hour or two before
bedtime, and avoid a heavy meal, spicy food, sugar or
caffeine during that time.
-
Remember
to have your child use the potty just before she gets
in to bed.
Is there a time to call a professional?
Don’t
ever hesitate to call a professional if you have concerns
about your child’s sleep.
Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing
from The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers
by Elizabeth Pantley, copyright 2002 Web site: http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth
(McGraw-Hill 2005)
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