Dispelling the Nightmares
Young children are especially prone to nightmares. After all, this is the stage when she actively absorbs new experiences with her growing imagination. Your child’s bad dreams may be caused by scary stories, unsettling TV shows, or anxiety and stress. You may have become fairly immune to these but for her, every experience is amplified.
Here’s how you can help:
- Provide your physical presence: Physical contact is very important. After all, a hug is far more assuring than calling out from your bedroom. Do note that if you bring her to your bed each time this happens, you might create a habitual dependency.
- Listen and console: Let her tell you her dreams if she can, but never push her. Tell her ‘it’s just a dream’. It might not seem like much, but she is only beginning to see the difference between dreams and reality.
- Follow up: Check if she rested well the following morning. If she is still bothered by the dream, you can ask her to draw what happened and let her discard the picture. This action helps her ‘remove’ the bad dream from affecting her again.
To reduce future occurrences, you can also try the following:
- Stick to a routine: A predictable routine can put her mind at ease. A warm bath, teeth brushing, and a carefully chosen bedtime story will help calm her down.
- Give control: Children are less likely to be scared if they feel they can control the situation. You can give her a soft toy that will help her ‘ward off the nightmare monster’ or craft a dreamcatcher together to ‘filter’ away bad dreams.
We hope these tips will help give your child a good night’s sleep. If the nightmares persist despite your best effort, you may want to consult a healthcare professional.
