How to Get Rid of Nightmares

The “Boogeyman”, “Monsters”, “Zombies” or even a slithering snake can wake a child from their peaceful slumber with anxious panic and fear. Children have vivid imaginations and what may not seem so frightening to an adult may turn into a terrifying dream for a child. Often, the nightmares of a child do not incorporate creative made up characters, but rather involve the re-living of unsettling or traumatic real life events, such as the death of a pet, a visit to the doctor or worse, the abuse of a parent. Sometimes, the re-living of real life traumas can lead into the creation of fictitious monsters and boogeymen. Nightmares, in children, can be an isolated occurrence or a nightly routine, which is why parents need to find positive ways to rid the nightmares.

Things You'll Need

• Night light
• Empty spray bottle
• Food coloring
• Scented extract or perfume
• Two-way baby monitor or walkie-talkie

Instructions

How to Approach a Child’s Nightmares

1. Find out what is causing the child to have nightmares. The parent(s) should stay calm and help their child to communicate about the specifics of their nightmare. Talking about it may even help them feel better and fall back to sleep. Also, this will allow the parent to pin-point the motivational cause of the nightmares.

2. Be respectful and affirming. It is easy for a parent or adult to dismiss a child’s nightmares as silly and insignificant, but this will do nothing to eliminate the child’s immediate fears. In fact, it will only make the child more frightened and feel as if they truly are alone with the demons that plague their night time dreams. Remember, they are really afraid and an adult they trust telling them it is silly or it is nonsense will do nothing to lessen that fear.

3. Show reassurance to the child. After the child has woken from a nightmare, it is helpful to comfort them and the best form of comfort comes through beneficially in a hug. This will give the child a sense of security. Stay with them in their rooms until they are visibly comforted, but continue to verbally reassure them that you are close by and that you will keep them safe.

4. Reassess the bedtime routine. Make sure to eliminate activities that include scary things before bedtime, because stimulating a child’s mind with something scary before bed might feed their night time imagination. So, stay away from scary movies, movies and programs that include characters that can easily be changed into fearful ones that wander a child’s dreams, and books that are about scary characters. Help the child begin their slumber on a soothing tranquil note.

5. Address stressors. Just like adults, children do have stressors in their daytime life. As a parent, it is important to address the stressors. Maybe, she is having issues with a friend. Maybe, he is being bullied in school. There are lots of events that can distress a child during the day, which then carry over into sleep and cause the manifestation of nightmares. But, addressing the stressors can help the child take control of them so they will not follow through into their dreams.

6. Discuss the nightmares during the day. Again, communicating with the child about their nightmares is always a good way to help them understand what is happening, while allowing the parent to dig into the reasons for what is motivating the frightening dreams should they not be isolated and become more habitual.

7. Use a night light or leave a light on. Some nightmares develop from a child’s fear of the dark, and having a bit of light shined onto this problem can also help diminish nightmares. It helps the child better equip themselves to handle the frights that haunt their dreams, because there is a sense of security a child will get from knowing the light is on—the light combats the dark.

8. Do a routine bedtime check. Prior to the child getting into bed, take them around the room and look in closets and under the bed, which are common places for imaginative children to allow their nightmare characters to live.

9. Make nightmare spray. Take an empty spray bottle that has been thoroughly cleaned of its original content. Fill it with water and color it with food coloring, making sure to use the child’s favorite color for an extra enhancement. Add some scented extract like vanilla or perfume that has light delicate pleasant scent. Create a label that says, “Nightmare Spray”, and give it to the child. Encourage them to use it anytime they have a nightmare, and to keep it on the nightstand next to their bed. It may also help to use the “Nightmare Spray” while doing the routine bedtime check, and explain to the child that it can help keep the nightmares away. Often, this method can help the child approach sleep with more confidence and security, which may prevent the nightmares.

10. Make sure the child is receiving adequate sleep. This can be easily accomplished by incorporating a bedtime routine that includes a set time to go to bed at night. A young child needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night.

11. Monitor the way the child sleeps. A child that displays a more restless sleep may have a sleep disorder, which is preventing them from getting into that deep sleep zone, allowing their mind’s to stay stimulated and active.

12. Have the child draw pictures. Encouraging the child to draw what they see in their nightmares is another good way to help them address their fears and see what may be causing the nightmares in the first place. As a parent, you may identify something familiar in the pictures that can help you better handle the child’s dreams. It may even help the parent discover a traumatic experience the child may be afraid to tell you about. After the child has drawn the nightmare on paper, have them crumple it up or rip it into pieces and throw it away. This is another good way to help the child take back control of their dreams.

13. Discuss the nightmares during the day. Again, communicating with the child about their nightmares is always a good way to help them understand what is happening, while allowing the parent to dig into the reasons for what is motivating the frightening dreams should they not be isolated and become more habitual.

How to Rid a Child’s Nightmares

1. Encourage the use of a security object. A security object can be a soft blanket or special pillow, favorite stuffed animal or toy. This can help relax the child and sooth them into a more restful sleep. A more restful sleep can often combat nightmares.

2. Use a night light or leave a light on. Some nightmares develop from a child’s fear of the dark, and having a bit of light shined onto this problem can also help diminish nightmares. It helps the child better equip themselves to handle the frights that haunt their dreams, because there is a sense of security a child will get from knowing the light is on—the light combats the dark.

3. Do a routine bedtime check. Prior to the child getting into bed, take them around the room and look in closets and under the bed, which are common places for imaginative children to allow their nightmare characters to live.

4. Make nightmare spray. Take an empty spray bottle that has been thoroughly cleaned of its original content. Fill it with water and color it with food coloring, making sure to use the child’s favorite color for an extra enhancement. Add some scented extract like vanilla or perfume that has light delicate pleasant scent. Create a label that says, “Nightmare Spray”, and give it to the child. Encourage them to use it anytime they have a nightmare, and to keep it on the nightstand next to their bed. It may also help to use the “Nightmare Spray” while doing the routine bedtime check, and explain to the child that it can help keep the nightmares away. Often, this method can help the child approach sleep with more confidence and security, which may prevent the nightmares.

5. Invest in two-way baby monitor or walkie-talkies. This will encourage the child to feel more secure in their room, knowing that you can hear them and they have easy access to you. It can create an atmosphere of a united front in the child’s effort to combat the frights in their nightmares.

6. Have the child draw pictures. Encouraging the child to draw what they see in their nightmares is another good way to help them address their fears and see what may be causing the nightmares in the first place. As a parent, you may identify something familiar in the pictures that can help you better handle the child’s dreams. It may even help the parent discover a traumatic experience the child may be afraid to tell you about. After the child has drawn the nightmare on paper, have them crumple it up or rip it into pieces and throw it away. This is another good way to help the child take back control of their dreams.

Tips & Warnings

• Never belittle a child who is having nightmares. To them, the nightmares are real and fear driven. When a child is belittled for the fears in their dreams, it can cause them to bottle things up and not feel they have anyone to turn to. Affirm their fears, because fear is real, even if the objects of their dreams are imaginary.

• Make sure the child is receiving adequate sleep. This can be easily accomplished by incorporating a bedtime routine that includes a set time to go to bed at night. A young child needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night.

• Monitor the way the child sleeps. A child that displays a more restless sleep may have a sleep disorder, which is preventing them from getting into that deep sleep zone, allowing their mind’s to stay stimulated and active.

• Routine and habitual nightmares should be addressed with the child’s pediatrician. There may be a medical condition that is responsible.

• When an adult suspects child abuse of any kind to be the root of the nightmares, it is important to seek out medical help, which may include removing the child from the harmful environment.