What have you heard about nightmares?
Maybe nothing, but it is possible that you have lived the following situation: Your child wakes up screaming in the middle of the night, thrashing around, inconsolable.
You try to soothe her, but she just keeps going. Then, just as suddenly, she drops back to sleep.
The above situation is a typical nightmare.
They usually begin when your child is between 18 months to two years old.
They occur because children sleep very deeply, making it possible for something to trigger their brains’ waking system without completely shutting off the sleeping system, putting them in a partially-awake state.
Although nightmares can be incredibly frightening for adults, they’re harmless to children.
The best thing that we could do with a nightmare is to keep the child safe, avoiding fallings from the bed causing injuries.
Sometimes trying to wake up the child or soothe her worsened the situation.
There is nothing parents can do to prevent a nightmare.
Usually, nightmares will decrease in frequency as your child gets older.
If you’re concerned or your child’s nightmares are becoming disruptive, talk to your child’s pediatrician