Bad dreams and nightmares - how do you deal with them

[mdmc]

If anyone has sage advice I am all ears. I would love to hear from parents that have to deal with their kids dreams. Anyone have advice to offer?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

1. My mom used to get in bed with me and kinda sing song me back

to sleep.

As an adult, I always wake up during the worst of it and get out of bed immediately.

[mdmc]

2. my sister and I were allowed to sleep on the floor near our

parents bed when we were little and had a nightmare.

Some of the best sleep I have ever had was on the floor of my parents old bedroom..

[nolabear]

3. Nightmares are normal for little kids.

They are for everyone but at around age 5 the brain begins to process things differently and things make a kind of impression that's a combination of reality and fantasy (as are all dreams) and show fears and fantasies and hopes and wishes in a way that is often really unnerving. That part's for you so you don't worry. Depending on how old your little one is, it can be helpful to tell him or her that what's happening is his brain is trying to figure things out and does it by having its own game of pretend, just like he does when he's awake, but that he can see the pretending even though it's not real, like a movie. Ask if he might know what his brain is trying to pretend about,and accept anything he says or doesn't say. Let him know the dream can't hurt him, and tell him that if it does come back he can ask it to show him what he's trying to figure out in a way that doesn't scare him.

Now, the whole point of this is 1) to let him know it's not harmful and is actually useful, 2) that he can do something about it, even in the midst of it, and 3) that you're not alarmed but are really interested, and he can be too.

Will it fix the nightmares? Might help a bit, might not, but we all have them and from age 5-8 kids have them a lot.

[mdmc]

4. thank you

very helpful..