If you ever watched "Monster's Inc," you'd know that even the cutest looking monsters can be terrifying if they invade your child's sleep. Considering how wild kids' imaginations are, you should know what to do when the boogeyman is under their bed at night.
Here are ways to calm your child down after a nightmare:
- Have a night-light for your child to turn on at bedtime, preferably something that they chose. Knowing that he owns something may ease his worries about what lies in the dark, and yes, that means getting him that soccer-ball lamp even if it looks appalling to you.
- Let him read about it. While you may want to steer him clear from psychology books, giving him stories where characters were able to conquer their nightmares can show him that he too can overcome his fears.
- Write or draw his feelings away. Nightmares usually come when a child is dealing with other things. Encouraging him to write or draw what is bothering him on a piece of paper can be symbolic -- giving your child a chance to take a physical form of their scary thoughts and throw it out.
- Turn off electronic devices like the television, laptop, tablets and even video games as these won't help your child settle down. Even books with scary stories and news with disasters, crime and terrorism might induce nightmares, so make sure the house is quiet at least an hour before your child goes to bed.
- Get him something comfortable like a security blanket or his favorite stuffed toy to offer comfort for your child when he wakes up from nightmares. Also, let him know that he can rely on his "friend" to protect him and keep him company as he goes back to sleep.
Remember that nightmares can be terrifying, not just for children, but even for adults as well, so don't tease or shame your child when he wakes up from them. Instead, talk it over and reassure him that he's safe. Most of all, let him feel that you're going to be by his side until he's calm enough to go back to sleep.
