NIGHTMARES are scary dreams that awaken a child. Occasional bad dreams are normal at all ages after about 6 months of age. When infants have a nightmare, they cry and scream until someone comes to them.
When preschoolers have a nightmare, they usually cry and scream until someone comes to them. When preschoolers have a nightmare, they usually cry and run into their parent's bedroom. Older children begin to understand what a nightmare is and put themselves back to sleep without waking their parents.
Cause
Everyone dreams four or five times each night. Some dreams are good, and some are bad. Dreams help the mind process complicated events or information. The content of nightmares usually relates to developmental challenger.
Toddlers have nightmares about separation from their parents: preschoolers, about monsters or the dark: and school-age children, about death or real dangers. Frequent nightmares may be caused by violent television shows or movies.
Dealing with nightmares
* Reassure and cuddle your child. Explain to your child that she was having a bad dream. Sit on the bed until your child is calm. Offer to leave the bedroom door open (never close the door on a fearful child).
Provide a night-light, especially if your child has fears of the dark. Most children return to sleep fairly quickly.
* Help your child talk about the bad dreams during the day. Your child may not remember what the dream was about unless you can remind her or something she said about when she woke up. If your child was dreaming about falling or being chased, reassure her that lots of children dream about that.
If your child has the same bad dream over and over again, help her imagine a good ending to the bad dream. Encourage your child to use a strong person or a magic weapon to help her overcome the bad person or event in the dream.
You may want to help your child draw pictures or write stories about the new happier ending for the dream. Working through a bad fear often takes several conversations about it.
* Protect your child against frightening movies and television shows. For many children, violent or horror movies cause bedtime fears and nightmares. These fears can persist for months or years. Absolutely forbid these movies before 13 years of age.
Between 13 and 17 years, the maturity and sensitivity of your child must be considered carefully in deciding when she is ready to deal with the uncut version of R-rated movies. Be vigilant about slumber parties or Halloween parties. Tell your child to call you if the family she is visiting is showing scary movies.
Night Terrors
By definition a child:
* may be agitated and restless but cannot be awakened or comforted
* may sit up or run helplessly about, possible screaming or talking wildly
* may appear anxious, but he doesn't mention any specific fear
* doesn't appear to realize that a person is a person is in front of him/her. Although the eyes are wide open and staring, your child looks right through you.
* may mistake objects or persons in the room for dangers.
* experiences the episode 1 to 2 hours after going to sleep. And the episode lasts from 10 to 30 minutes.
* cannot remember the episode in the morning (amnesia).
* is usually 1 to 8 years old.
The problem must be confirmed by a physician. Night terrors are in inherited disorder in which a child tends to have dreams during deep sleep from which it is difficult to awaken.
They occur in 2% of children and usually are not caused by psychological stress. Being overtired can trigger night terrors.
Night terrors usually occur within 2 hours of bedtime. They are harmless and each episode will end of its own accord in deep sleep. The problem usually disappears by 12 years of age or sooner.
How to deal with Night Terrors
* Try to help your child return to normal sleep. Your goal is to help your child go from agitated sleep to a calm sleep. You won't be able to awaken your child, so don't try. Turn on the lights so that your child is less confused by shadows.
Make soothing comments such as "You are all right. You are home in your own bed. You can rest now." Speak calmly and repetitively. Such comments are usually better than silence and may help your child refocus.
Some children like to have their hand held during this time, but most will pull away. Hold your child only if it seems to help him feel better. There is no way to abruptly shorten the episode.
Shaking your child or shouting at him will just cause the child to become more agitated and will prolong the attack.
* Protect your child against injury. During a night terror, a child can fall down a stairway, run into a wall, or break a window. Try to gently direct your child back to bed.
* Prepare "yayas", babysitters, or other caregivers in the family for these episodes. Explain to people who care for your child what a night terror is and what to do if one happens.
Understanding this will prevent them from overreacting if your child has a night terror.
How to prevent it?
* Keep your child from becoming overtired. Sleep deprivation is the most common trigger for night terrors. For preschoolers, restore the afternoon nap. If your child refuses to nap, encourage a 1-hour "quiet time."
Also avoid late bedtimes because they may trigger a night terror. If your child needs to be awakened in the morning, that means he needs an earlier bedtime. Move lights-out time to 15 minutes earlier each night until your child can self-awaken in the morning.
* Use prompted awakenings for frequent night terrors. If your child has frequent night terrors, Dr. B. Lask of London has found a new way to eliminate this distressing sleep pattern in 90% of children. For several nights, note how many minutes elapse from falling asleep to the onset of the night terror.
Then awaken your child 15 minutes before the expected time of onset. (Remind your child at bedtime that when you do this, his job is "to wake up fast." Keep your child fully awake and out of bed for 5 minutes.
Carry out these prompted awakenings for seven consecutive nights. If the night terrors return, repeat this seven-night training program. (MTM)
