Don't be afraid of nightmares!

Nightmares are a normal occurrence between 18 and 24 months . We know that sleep is a particularly sensitive topic for families with children aged 0 to 3, and the appearance of nightmares can be a little alarming. The first piece of good news is that they will disappear as your child grows, usually between the ages of 4 and 5.

Nightmares are a natural part of child development and are linked to their maturation: our children grow and become more independent, their communication skills develop, and their imaginations increase. These episodes usually occur around the second half of the night, when the child is in REM sleep, a time when brain activity increases (easily identifiable because their eyes move rapidly under their eyelids). It is at this time that dreams occur, and of course, nightmares as well.

Although nightmares are a natural part of development, some factors can trigger them, such as irregular sleep schedules, fever, certain medications, screen time, or stressful or upsetting experiences during the day or just before bedtime. But remember: nightmares are a normal part of development and are simply another stage of life.

So, is there anything we can do to avoid them? As with everything, there are no magic solutions in parenting, but at Happy Way School we have a few tricks that can help you better navigate this phase:

• It is important to have a proper sleep routine so that they go to sleep calmer.
• Children perceive everything, which is why the calm of adults at these moments plays an important role.
• When you have to take a medication, it is important to read the prescription to be prepared since some medications cause nightmares.
• Observe when the nightmares start because, if we know that they occur at a certain time, we can anticipate the situation to wake them up a few minutes before it happens (always in a calm manner) and thus they can go back to sleep relaxed without going through a nightmare. bad time
• When nightmares occur, we will stand by them in silence and interact as little as possible. In this way we accompany and support them so that they know that we are there and they can go back to sleep.
• To get to bedtime as calm as possible, we will avoid playing overly stimulating games and, of course, no screens.
• Although nightmares are natural, they can be a problem due to sleep disturbance. To disturb their rest as little as possible, it is better to keep them in their bed and, from there, accompany them. Moving them to the parents' bed can create a habit that is difficult to break later.

Hang in there, families. Like all the challenges you've overcome, this too shall pass . Sweet dreams to all. Shhhhhh…