Keeping nightmares at bay

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Young children get nightmares because they can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. Because of this, they can become extremely upset and resist going back to sleep.

Do:

Go to your child to reassure her. Hug her and calmly tell her that it was just a bad dream.
Try to get her to tell you what happened in the dream - this can help her to calm down.
Hang a dream-catcher above her bed and explain that any bad dreams will be trapped in there so she won't be scared by them.
Pinpoint anything that might be causing her stress. 'Is there a new baby in the house? Are you moving home? Is she potty-training or has she just started at pre-school?' says Annette. 'Talk to her about anything that might be going on and reassure her that it's nothing to worry about. This should help ease any anxiety.'
If the nightmares occur at the same time every morning, go in and wake her up just before that point. Give her a drink of water and then settle her back down.
Speak to your health visitor if the dreams seem excessively frightening and they leave your child in a state of shock - it's possible she could be having night terrors.

Don't:

Read bedtime stories that might be subconsciously scary and, again, don't let her watch TV just before bedtime.
Start a potty-training programme if she's having frequent bad dreams and you think they may be stress-related - it'll just be one more thing for her to worry about.

- Next: Solutions if your child is scared of the dark