My four year old dau sleeps well abt 11 hrs but for last 5 nites she has woken 1 or 2 xs screaming, sometimes she wakes other times she's still asleep. She'll go back to sleep with a brief reassurance but she is anxious before she goes to sleep and I just feel badly that it is happening. She has been a little spooked by halloween images and I will be going away for 3 nites but that is all I can think of for potential causes. She doesn't watch movies and only watches sid on tv. Anyone experience this or have any advice? Thx
Try playing a kids music cd in her room with it set to repeat all night. This may help distract her thoughts.
My son has the occasional nightmare and I've heard from others that four years is when they start getting hit by nightmares. Talk to her about how these are like stories in her head when shes asleep and they are not real. They seem very real and kids have trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy so keep trying to explain nightmares to her.
Read a bedtime story and make sure it's a comforting one or read her a Bible story and tell her you love her and just reassure her and if she does wake do the same thing you've have been doing. Children will have nightmares at different stages. I would try to not focus on halloween and any other things that can scare her. Kids are all different and some are more anxious about things.
Hi E.,
My son had night terrors. I disovered he had food intolerances. Changed his diet, no more night terrors. Wheat and corn caused it for him.
Good luck,
: ) Maureen
I think there is a difference between the ones where she wakes up (and probably remembers the dream) and the ones where she doesn't (night terrors). I agree about reassurance. You can try the monster spray if that's what she's worried about (find out about her specific fears), and I've also heard of people using just an empty spray bottle with just air in it! Keeps you from soaking the room. I like the suggestion about dreams being stories in her head and not being real. See if you can get her to articulate what she's worried about. Try not to project your own worries about the effect of being away for three days. Be sure that your husband or whoever else may be caring for her during your absence is part of settling her down now, so she can be comforted by someone besides you.
Does she remember having the nightmares in the mornings? Does she still talk about them?
When i wa little my mom used to tell us if we had a nightmare, if we would just roll over to a different side, the nightmares would go away.. This really did work, still does for me..
Another thing, we learned were about "Dream coins" to me and you they look like quarters but when used under a pillow they become protective talisman that keep bad dreams away. One day when I was changing our young daughters sheets, I found a pile of coins under he pillow, I asked her about it and she said, she had , a REALLY, REALLY bad dream and needed lots of coins for it to go away!
Another mom her on mamapedia introduced me to "Monster spray". It is a squirt bottle with water in it (Child does not know) and it is only used to spray areas of the room to keep monsters away. Apply as needed. Under beds, in closets, behind doors.. wherever these creatures may lurk.
