Persistent nightmares could mean that your toddler is worried about something -- like fear of storms, injury or starting a preschool. There are many possible reasons a child wake up at night and be upset of something.
No matter what's frightening your child, it is important to help your toddler to conquer it to give her/him a peaceful sleep. Here's what you can do for your child:
Comfort your child.
Encourage your child to talk about his/her nightmare and ask what's bothering your little one's mind. Once your toddler starts to talk, listen with empathy. You can also lie beside your child and gently stroke his/her head to give more comfort.
It is also helpful to tell them that it's just a dream. However, kids younger than four may still have difficulty understanding the nature of dreams. Nevertheless, you can still try and tell them dreams aren't real.
Give your child something to cuddle.
Selecting a particular stuff (stuff toy, pillow or blanket) to comfort your little one is a nice bedtime transition. Let your tot know that his/her little "friend" can keep him/her company at nights.
Go to your child immediately.
As soon as you hear your child screaming, crying in the middle of the night, go to your toddler's room immediately. Hold your child tightly and give a comforting, reassuring tone of voice like: "Mommy's here."
But always remember before you rush to your child, make sure to stay calm as you don't want to make your child feel that you're angry or frustrated for waking you in the middle of the night.
Help your child relax.
Before you put your child to bed, you can also help your tot relax by soothing bedtime rituals like a gentle massage, relaxing bath or bedtime stories. Doing these simple rituals can help your child's system to relax as wanted.
If the nightmares still persist even after you employed the measures to end them, seek a doctor immediately. There might be something bothering your child that needs to be addressed.
