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Expert Q&A
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| By EQ Doctors Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D. Steven E. Tobias, Psy.D. Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D Psychologists | ||
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My 2-year-old daughter woke in the middle of the night stating there was a big monster. She was very frightened and did not want to go back to sleep. Is this typical behavior of a 26 month old? We do not let her watch anything but PBS on television so the only monsters she has seen are Cookie Monster and the gang. Please help -- we feel this is too young for nightmares.
You are right in thinking that 26-month-old children don't typically get nightmares. The typical age at which nightmares become apparent in kids is closer to age 3. But an earlier onset is neither unheard of nor a cause for alarm. And the kind of dream your child had, involving a threat of some kind, is among the most common for preschoolers. There is no clear linkage between nightmares and what kids watch on TV. Think for a moment about fairy tales and nursery rhymes and stories kids are told -- they are not all happy and jolly. Virtually any story Disney has made into its classic movies has had a dark side. The time for concern is when these kinds of dreams become frequent and regular over a period of weeks and ruin your child's sleep and yours. The treatment of choice? Provide support and reassurance, express confidence in the child's safety, and look to reduce the stressfulness that might surround the bedtime situation.
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