As every parent knows children going through a terrifying dream during night can be inconsolable. Children usually continue with their normal sleep once the nightmare is over, unless woken up. This happens even if they make loud noises and cries for help while the dream is in progress, and even if in some cases appear to open their eyes. Usually children do not have any recollection of the dream in the morning.

Parents cannot but be deeply affected by observing their child going through terror. They feel powerless to help. What can they do?

Most often night terrors occur in children aged between three to five years, when they change from taking naps at various times during day, to a regular sleeping period. It has been theorized by psychologists, that nightmares occur when the child who has fallen into a deep sleep after a tiring day without naps, try to transition from deep sleep to light sleep while going through the sleep cycle.

What parents can do
As a start, parents can help by not overtiring the child, thus cutting the need for a prolonged period of deep sleep at the end of the day. If the child is exhausted, let him or her have a nap during the day.

Take note of the time child goes to sleep and the occurrence of the nightmares. If the child goes to sleep at the same time the nightmare is likely to occur at predictable times. Parents can waken the child half an hour or so before that time to break the child’s sleep cycle. Spend few minutes with child talking and perhaps reading a story and then let him or her go back to sleep.

Children should not be cuddled when undergoing a nightmare since this may enhance child’s feeling of being trapped. Talk to the child in a consoling soft voice and play soothing music. You can do this regardless of whether the child has fully woken up or not.

Unless child wants to talk about it on their own will, no purpose will be served by discussing the content of the dream with the child, who as stated, would in all probability, have already forgotten about it. Take steps to prevent any reference to the subject especially teasing, in the presence of the child.

With time these nightmares will pass.

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