| | | | What To Do When Your Child Has Nightmares |
By Sally A
If your child is suffering from nightmares, the chances are that he or she is going to be anxious and in need of support. Sometimes, they will be absolutely terrified of bedtime, and will dread the prospect of turning the light out, in case the nightmares happen again. Children often suffer from nightmares until around the age of six. After this age, they are less likely to experience them, but some children may still be affected on a regular basis. As a parent, this is obviously going to be a worrying time, but there are things that you can do to ease your child's pain.
Nightmares are often a reaction to a life change, which is why many children experience them when they start a new school, or when his or her parents separate or divorce. Although they are mostly seen as negative, some experts believe that nightmares can actually be a positive sign that your child is learning to cope with the challenges ahead. Generally speaking, the amount of nightmares that your child experiences should decrease as the level of stress that accompanies the life change is also reduced. For example, if your child's nightmares are related to him or her changing schools, these should decrease as he or she becomes more comfortable at the new school.
What can you do to comfort your child?
Go to his or her room as quickly as possible. If your room is not close enough to your child's room to easily hear sounds of distress, you could install a baby monitor so that you can reach his or her room more quickly.
Give him or her a hug, and reassure them. You will probably need to stay in the room until he or she has calmed down enough to go back to bed. It might be a good idea to read your child a story to help him or her to relax.
Encourage him or her to discuss the nightmare to help put it into perspective.
Nightmares affect almost every child at some point, so there is no need to worry unless they start recurring. These will obviously cause your child more distress, but they can useful for providing clues about his or her fears and other underlying reasons for experiencing nightmares.
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