Children tend to go through periods of bad dreams. Normally, this phase occurs between the ages of four and ten. There might be a period of a couple of weeks during which your child is badly plagued by nightmares – during this time, you could struggle to help them get a good night’s sleep, and this could have a negative impact on you and your partner’s sleep too. Your whole family might be very tired still once morning rolls around!
Think it’s time that you did something about all of these scary dreams? Here are my best tips for helping children turn their nightmares into sweet dreams!
Improve Their Bedroom
Your child’s bedroom needs to be as comfortable as possible so that they can quickly fall asleep and get a good-quality night’s sleep. If the bedroom is too hot or too cold, it could cause them to wake more often, which can make them remember any bad dreams. An uncomfy bed will also cause them to be restless, which will make their mind quite active during sleep. So, it’s a good idea to take a look at mattress-guides.net/ if your child’s mattress is quite old and needs to be replaced. Changing pillows and bedsheets every few years can also keep their bed as cozy as possible!
Don’t Tease Them
Nightmares are very serious things to kids. They are extremely terrifying and can have a lasting effect on them. In some cases, they may even cause phobias to develop that a child might take with them through to adulthood. It’s important that you talk openly with your child about their nightmares so that they have the chance to discuss their thoughts and fears. Whatever you do, do not tease them, though, as this can make them feel embarrassed and ashamed, and they might be a lot less likely to come to you to be comforted in the future.
Avoid Scary TV And Stories Before Bed
For most children, the cause of their nightmares is a scary story, movie, or TV show. So, it makes sense not to let them watch or read anything that might scare them right before bed. Ideally, the cut-off point should be a couple of hours before their bedtime. That will give them plenty of time to forget all about the scary story. If your child is particularly sensitive, then it could be a good idea to not let them watch or read anything scary at all.
Lighten Their Bedroom
If your child has a fear of the dark, it will be worth buying a nightlight, like the ones listed on madeformums.com. These lights will lighten the whole bedroom but not so much that it will be too bright for your child to fall asleep. If they wake up in the middle of the night, they will feel comforted by the soft glow from the light.
Hopefully, all of these tips will help put a stop to all your child’s nightmares. From now on, they should just have sweet dreams!
