Nightmares or commonly known as bad dreams are common in children. Nightmares can wake up kids scared and upset. Almost all children at some point of time get a bad dream and would talk about it. Nightmares usually happen only now and then are not a cause for concern but occasionally could be frequent and troublesome. In this article we briefly discuss the nightmares in children, their causes and management.
What are the most common nightmares in kids?
Children often have nightmares or bad dreams about a scary dog, ghosts, monster or an unhappy event at school. A nightmare can sometimes have bits and pieces of the past day’s events with some scary twist. When children wake up after a nightmare the images are fresh and make them feel afraid and upset. As children grow they understand that a nightmare is only a bad dream and isn’t real. Still some children can get frightened from nightmares.
During what stage of sleep nightmares happen?
Nightmares seem to happen during rapid eye movement or REM stage of sleep to vivid dreams. Hence, nightmares are usually seen in the second half of a night’s sleep, when the REM periods are longer. Although it is not exactly clear why nightmares happen during REM sleep it is thought that during REM sleep the brain is most active leading to vivid dreams.
What causes a child to have nightmares?
The reason why and how nightmares happen is not clear. It is possibly related to the usual stress of growing up. In some children nightmares might be related to a recent traumatic event, stress or event in life. These could be shifting to a new school, birth of a sibling, family tensions etc. In some children nightmares could be triggered by watching a scary movie or a TV show etc.
How do I stop my child from having nightmares?
Most children having nightmares do not need any specific intervention, usually parent’s comfort and reassurance is helpful. Having a good sleep routine with a regular bedtime and wake-up time helps. A Comfortable sleep routine like a bath, gentle massage, a hug with a parent, reading a story book or a talk about pleasant events of the day can also be very helpful. A cozy bed and a quiet sleep environment is also found to be helpful. Avoid scary movies, TV shows, and stories before bedtime.
If a child gets a nightmare here are some helpful tips. Parental presence is very helpful and makes the child feel safe and protected. Do reassure your child that you’re there with them and no one can hurt them. Letting the child know that it was just a bad dream which does not happen in the real world is important. Help your child go back to sleep with something comforting like a favorite stuffed toy, a blanket, pillow, or soft music.
In case your child is having frequent and troublesome nightmares you need to get in touch with a child sleep specialist.
