How to Soothe Your Child After a Terrifying Nightmare

Night terrors and nightmares can be frightening for both a child and his parents, especially when they start occurring in regular times. Nightmares happen during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase while sleeping. They may vary in length but the child will typically recall the things that happened in that nightmare and what it was all about. Night terrors, however, occur about an hour or two immediately after the child has gone to bed and has fallen asleep, and can last anywhere from the range of a few moments to an hour. They transpire in the course of the non-REM part of sleep, and even though your child’s eyes are wide open, he may be completely asleep the whole time. By the time he wakes up, he’ll have no memory of it.

These night terrors and nightmares have caused a lot of children to be fearful all the time. This is particularly true with nightmares as they’re the ones that are likely remembered. When children come across scenes in their dreams, they become terrified. Some kids become very afraid when they’re alone thinking that the monsters might come out of the closet and grab them. These facts are possibly one of the many reasons behind some children’s diffidence. In fact, they can have some serious effects on your kids and their fears can last for a very long time.

Nevertheless, there are still things that you can do before your child goes to sleep and after he wakes up from one of these terrible experiences. First, you have to make sure that the time before bedtime is a tranquil, peaceful and relaxing time for everyone. Infants find the voices of their parents very comforting, so talk softly to your child before he goes to sleep or perhaps you can softly hum, sing a lullaby or tell him a short story. This will also help when your baby wakes up from his sleep.

It’s always crucial for mom and dad to be calm. Once you become anxious or nervous, your baby will feel it and it will be harder for you to get him settled all over again. Also, make sure that you can easily hear your child if he starts to cry out in the night. Baby monitors work great during these moments. It’s necessary to get to your little one without delay so that you can comfort and reassure him instantly. Once you begin hearing him cry out, don’t wake him up if he hasn’t awakened on his own. It is better if you just stay with him to make sure he goes back to sleep, or simply wait for him to wake up. Don’t let him fall asleep with you after a nightmare. It may end up having a negative effect and reinforce the idea that he should be scared of his own room and bed. By the time it becomes a habit, it could be very difficult to break later on.