Nightmares

Nightmares happen when your child wakes up while having a bad dream. 

Your child might remember the “scary dream” and be afraid to go back to sleep. Children can have nightmares at any age and are most likely to have them during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) state of sleep each night. This is the vivid dream state  between deep sleep and being awake.

See Explaining the sleep cycle for more information on REM sleep.

Effective strategies to prevent nightmares

The following are some strategies you might like to implement if your child is having nightmares: 

  • implementing a regular bedtime routine 

  • quiet media-free relaxing times before bed 

  • spend time with your child doing calm, low-energy activities, for example, reading a book  

  • avoiding food and drinks one hour before bedtime. 

Supporting your child with nightmares:  

With nightmares, it is usually enough to reassure your child and stay with them until they fall back asleep again.   

Nightmares can be from worries or anxiety that your child has. It is good to talk to your child about any fears or worries during the day or at the time of tucking into bed.