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Expert Q&A
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| By Paul Coleman Psychologist Family Therapist | ||
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Could family worries be causing our childų night terrors or nightmares?
Night terrors are different from nightmares. Night terrors occur at a different phase of sleep, and the child usually screams wildly, kicks or shakes, and it is hard to awaken the child. In fact, it is usually recommended not to awaken a child from a night terror. Stand by to make sure the child does not get hurt or fall from the bed.
Night terrors are outgrown, usually. Nightmares are more common and are not necessarily due to stress or trauma. However, if the nightmares continue for more than a couple of weeks, it is more likely that the child is under stress or has experienced some kind of fearful event.
Tips: Let the child talk to you about his or her fears and bad dreams. Discuss pleasant images before bedtime and see if you and your child can imagine something fun to dream about. Don't allow the child to watch any upsetting images on TV before bed (that goes for video games, too). If you and your partner are arguing, it can affect your child. Find places to talk about your problems out of earshot of your child. If your child is less stressed, you will have one less thing to worry about."
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