Toddler Nightmares: Causes n Cure

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Does your toddler have nightmares very often and wake up crying? Don't fret about it; it is a very common thing among toddlers. Your child does not have any special psychological problem that pre-disposes him/her to have nightmares. All toddler's face sleep problems and nightmares is just one of them.

It is most important to distinguish toddler nightmares from toddler night terrors. If your toddler is having night terrors, he or she will not wake up suddenly but continued to have a visibly disturbed sleep. But toddlers usually wake after nightmares and start crying.

How to know your child had a nightmare?

Most toddlers start having nightmares much before they are able to speak clearly. So they are not able to articulate why they are crying. But if your toddler's sleep is disturbed and he/she wakes up crying and then refuses to go back to sleep, the reason could be nightmares. The child may also start clinging to you and refuse to sleep alone for the rest of the night.

Toddler Nightmares: Causes n Cures

Illness: If the child is ill or about to fall sick, scary dreams can disturb his/her sleep. This especially happens when toddlers have an upset stomach. It makes them cranky and the discomfort makes them have nightmares. It is best to make the child sleep close to you when he/she is sick.

Scary Bedtime Stories: Beware of what stories you tell your toddler before bed. The story of the wicked witch who eats children by frying them may not be the most pleasant one before bed. That is why bedtime stories should always be pleasant.

Fearful Visuals: Be very careful about what kind of visuals your toddler is being exposed to. Even the new channels these days carry a lot of violent and destructive visuals that is not appropriate for your child. Such monstrous visuals may give your baby terrible nightmares.

Separation Anxiety: Does your toddler get nightmares only when he/she is sleeping alone? This means that the child is suffering from separation anxiety. The toddler is scared to sleep alone and hence get nightmares. In this case, you have to get up several times at night to comfort your child and also visit a therapist who works with children.

These are some parenting techniques to understand toddler nightmares and also make sure that they do not recur.