Mums and Bubs
How to understand that it is a nightmare?
Obviously, it is hard to tell what disturbed you toddler during the night unless he can explain is the words.
There are a lot of reasons why a child wakes up during a night and be disturbed. Some of the kids awaken due to their sickness while some felt uncomfortable because of one reason or another. Most of the times, you will just need to make them comfortable and they will sleep again.
On the other hand, if your toddler wakes up frightened and scared while crying, and he is not getting back to sleep, then he might had a nightmare. Another most common hint of the nightmare is that it happens after the middle of the night.
Don’t be confused about the night terrors, they are not the nightmares. Night terrors are quite common among toddlers and it happens during the first stage of the night. Also, it causes way less sleep disturbance as compared to nightmares. Children normally have no clue of the night terrors as they can’t remember it.
Well, now you have an idea about how to understand that your child had a nightmare. Let’s move forward…
Nightmares happen, but why?
Children nightmares are normally linked with something that occurred before they went to sleep. For example, a fight among the parents, watching a horror movie, reading or listening to a story, etc.
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Another reason of nightmares is stress. Find the source of the stress and you can easy handle the nightmares. Nightmares are very common and there is nothing to be worried about them.
What to do?
Physical assurance is very important when it comes to nightmares. If you notice that your child is crying because of any reason during the night, hold him and be there for some time. Also, it might be a good practice to place his favorite toy next to him.
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Whenever you lay him on the bed for sleep, ensure that the night lamp is on and the door is open. Don’t bring him to your bed because if you do that, you are actually making a habit that is difficult to reverse
Have a chat with your kid while he is in a good mood and talk about the dreams. This is a great help for your kid, but it only works when your kid is at least 7 to 8 years old. Since then, you need to take care of him on your own.
How to prevent Nightmares?
A peaceful nighttime routine is a perfect way to reduce the chances of nightmares. Obviously, you can’t prevent the nightmares completely, but a good routine can help for sure.
Give your toddler a warm bath before asking him to go to the bed and then read a relaxing story for him. You can also sing a song if he likes to hear. Try reading the books that make a happy ending. When you visit your nearest superstore, you can ask the shopkeeper to give you a bedtime book (if you are not good at making stories on your own).
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Light disturb the sleeping patterns. But, if your kid doesn’t feel secure in the dark, you can bring a couple of night-lights that are bright enough but doesn’t disturb the sleep.
Try these practices and your kid’s nightmare should be gone. If your child still experiences the same issues, then it might be good to have an appointment with your healthcare provider. There might be something else that disturbs your kid and that is why he can’t sleep easily at nights.
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