What do you do for your child when they have a bad dream?

What do yall do when your child this age has a bad dream? It’s not every night, but about every other night. My daughter comes to my room for me to walk her back to her bed. I tell her bad dreams aren’t real and that she needs to be brave. I’m not sure what else I can do, but this has been happening the past few weeks and it’s getting exhausting being woken up several times a night. I try to ask her what her dreams are about to see if it would help to talk about it or something I can fix, but she always tells me she “doesn’t know.”

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I used to have bad dreams and my mom got me a dream catcher. I swear that thing worked. My daughter is now waking up frequently in the middle of the night and I’m probably going to get her one too.

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I snuggle my daughter back to sleep and tell her it’s just a dream, she has a wild imagination and had them frequently for a while but now when i put her to sleep just as she’s dozing off I whisper about rainbows and butterflies and happy things or tell her all the fun stuff we will do the next day and that seemed to help alot and she has them way less .

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Something is bothering her if it’s nearly every night.

My daughter never really had bad dreams. We were watching scary movies since she was 2. She loved scary movies and still does. If she would wake up in the middle of the night I’d lay with her in her toddler bed until she fell back asleep. I usually fell asleep right along with her. I would go back to my room when I woke up again. If you don’t want to keep getting out of bed maybe let her sleep with you and see if that helps.

I’m not very religious but my daughter asked me to pray with her years ago when she went through the nightmare phase , we had been praying together ever since every night and that helped her a lot

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I would reflect on what she’s eating or watching, etc. But personally, I always walk mine back to bed and rub their back to sleep and keep reminding that it’s just a dream and it’s not real and let’s think about happy things before we fall asleep. Hopefully it’s a phase and it definitely screws sleep up but all part of it 🙂

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I suggest you get her a dream catcher and explain to her that she’ll be ok with it. I believe that they do work.

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My mom
Use to lay down with me when I had bad dreams - until
I was really old lol
:joy:. But it was quite comforting . I did the same with my daughter. She is 27 now and has always had a vivid imagination to say the least . My boys never did and never needed me during the night . I think each person is just different . Hoping this is a phase for I know you are exhausted. Just food for thought - I don’t think I’d tell her she had to be brave as she might feel bad if she needs you . This too shall pass ! Although I am 57 and mom is 82 - I wish she’d still
Come lay down with me when I have a bad dream :sleeping:

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Walk her back to bed, say a prayer. When she fall asleep go back to your room.

I lay with my child and comfort then when they have a bad dream. Since it’s happening so frequently, I would make sure the child hasn’t been watching anything scary. I personally would lay with my child the next night, tell a bedtime story or watch something funny right before bed to give them good thoughts before going to sleep. Make sure the child isn’t stressed. Say our prayers before bed. Those sort of things. I understand your tired, but your child needs you. Nightmares are the worst. I’m an adult and hate nightmares.

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Could it be night terrors? My daughter had them. She seemed awake and was talking but it was hard to settle her and shake the fear. Our health visitor went straight to the cause. It’s like a form of sleep walking. It’s worth a Google.

I comforted him/her stayed while they slept.

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What does the pediatrician say?

We do a little thing to her pillow together I told her to tap tap rub rub clap clap and flip the pillow to the other side… seems to work for 3 years lol

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I used have really bad dreams now i have a dream catcher above my bed and i dream but not bad ones

She more than likely isn’t having bad dreams. In my experience this behavior is attention seeking behavior. At night when we are our most vulnerable it is natural to want things that bring us comfort. Maybe set a night a week she can sleep in your bed with you. But she has to stay in her bed the remaining nights unless there’s a real emergency. Explain that it’s ok if she’s not having bad dreams that it’s normal to just want to feel loved at night too. When kids have multiple recurring nightmares it’s usually extreme like night terrors or bc of something traumatic or something they are repeatedly feeling during the day and are expressing the fear. Bc she’s not expressing the fear (able to walk and calmly talk to you, not thrashing or scared) I don’t think nightmares are the case. However, I’m not experiencing it and you would know best. Put a monitor in her room to be safe. The age thing…maybe I’m missing it but would help to know the specific age as well. But even if she’s 8 it’s pretty much the same.