Nightmares are a Normal Bedtime
Event
By Dr. Gary A. Weinberger
Although most preschoolers sleep through the night without difficulty, many awaken one or more times and investigate their surroundings before falling back to sleep. On some occasions, however, children may awaken as a result of their very active dreams.
Dreams usually represent the child's view of some event from the preceding day. In fact, dreams may reflect an impulse, aggressive feeling, or fear which only appears through dreaming. A preschool child requires reassurance after awakening from a dream state, while school-age children usually recognize that dreams are not real.
While most parents are familiar with typical nightmares, many are not aware of the type of dream known as a night terror. Nightmares are a scary dream with subsequent complete awakening. Night terrors are a partial arousal from very deep sleep with associated confusion.
The following checklist is helpful in determining the type of dream which occurred:
- Nightmares occur in the second half of the night while night terrors occur from one to four hours after falling asleep.
- Nightmares cause crying and fearful behavior after waking while night terrors cause crying, confusion, and thrashing which resolve after waking.
- Nightmares are recognized by the parent after the child awakens while night terrors are recognized by the parent during the event.
- Nightmares cause difficulty falling asleep after the event and children often remember the dream the following morning while night terrors do not cause difficulty falling asleep and children do not remember the dream.
Regardless of the type of dream which occurs, parents should only reassure the child regarding his safety, put him back to sleep, and leave the room. During a night terror a child may unintentionally harm himself; therefore, parents may need to assure the child's safety until the episode ends. Bringing the child into the parent's room or offering food only rewards the child's fearful behavior.
Reading stories about dreams and sleep may help a child to overcome his nighttime fears as he learns that everyone dreams. Classic children's books on this topic include: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban, and There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer. If the dreams are especially severe or frequent, then parents should consult with their child's pediatrician.