To be known as the scary dreams, nightmares tend to wake our kid up from his sleep, and these horrible dreams seem really real to him. Actually, relying upon our children’s ages, it can be truly hard for them to separate the nightmare from reality, even after they awake from it. Believe it or not, these frightening dreams may generally make toddlers upset and afraid to go back to their sleeps and can be one of the main reasons for bedtime refusal or struggles.
What Causes Nightmares?
Sometimes, although nightmares appear to stem from something that our kid sees or hears anything upsetting him during the daytime, they may happen without any specific reason. Yes, the exact reason why these scary dreams occur tends to be unknown. In some situations, nightmares can be associated with psychopathology or follow any traumatic experience. At times, certain drugs which cause the dream sleep rebound or change brain neurotransmitters may be closely associated with the nightmares.
These horrible dreams may occur in kids as toddlers, but normally begin between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Surprisingly, it is estimated that 10 to 50% of those at this age group will have nightmares serious enough to disturb their parents. In addition, the developmental stage of life tends to be reflected in the type of nightmare. Toddlers can, for instance, get the nightmares related to being separated from their parents; the young kids may have frightening dreams about death, getting lost, or even other real dangers while the older children can get scary dreams about any terrible movie they have ever seen.
In general, nightmares occur in the second half of the night, as well as will be associated with the complete awareness and clear recall in case a kid wakes up after the episode. No confusion is involved. As a result, these features might distinguish nightmares from the night terrors that appear in the first half of the night, and shall be associated with little/no recall and the confused state of awareness.
How To Give Our Toddler Who Experiences Nightmares A Hand?
- Stay calm!
Whenever dealing with toddler’s nightmares, it is really necessary to maintain our composure. After that, try to calm our kid’s nerves that he is safe in his own home and he has got a caretaker who is always taking care of him as well as keeping these monsters in check.
- Talk with our toddler very quietly!
Physiologically speaking, the presence of the swift application of a hug and the calm caretaker can begin to lower the stress hormones present in our baby, and then make it easier for him to fall back to sleep.
- Allow him to crawl in bed with us!
Of course, this could be one of the easiest solutions since he knows that we are physically with them. If the bed begins to become an attachment issue or it is too small, don’t be hesitant to stay with our toddler in his room. This can boost his confidence that we are truly “standing guard” and we can watch him whereas he sleeps.
- Soothe our little child!
Offer a hug and some gentle reassurance to make him feel that the dream was not real. Let him understand that he is actually safe in his home, and that we are always there to watch over him. Either walk him back to his room, or even let him cuddle up with us, and then recite a list of positive stories and images such as mentioning the Water Park, or his favorite toy. Attempt to reset the emotional tone to a comfortable one before we assist him in falling back to sleep.
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