object or a dim nightlight can also be helpful.

When your child has a sleep terror, trying
to interfere can make things worse. Instead,
wait it out and make sure the space is safe and
secure in case they start walking.

Preventing Bad Dreams
— DR. MELODY HAWKINS, PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT SLEEP CENTER
Another useful exercise is letting kids use art
to put their bad dreams to rest, so to speak.

Ask them to “draw a picture of the bad dream
and crumple it up and throw it in the trash,”
she says. “It’s a symbolic way of saying, ‘I’m
done with that.’”
Children can also write down their
dream with an alternative happy ending,
says Hawkins.

Conversely, sleep terrors don’t need to
be brought up, since children usually don’t
remember them. However, if terrors or bad
dreams begin interfering with daily life,
Bautista and Hawkins recommend speaking
with a pediatrician or sleep specialist to get
some help.

These days, my daughter still experiences
infrequent terrors, but now I have the tools to
help. I can rest a bit easier each night knowing
that we’re doing what we can to make sure she
has an uneventful night. n
Laura Boycourt is a freelance writer and
journalist living in Virginia. When she’s not
meeting deadlines, she enjoys playing sports and
exploring the great outdoors with her husband
and two daughters. You can find her on
Twitter @BoycourtWrites.

RIDOFRANZ/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
To reduce bad dreams, Hawkins and Bautista
say that it’s essential that children get enough
sleep. They also suggest avoiding the scary
or disturbing triggers that have previously
caused nightmares.

Bautista adds that putting down technology
and sticking to good bedtime habits can go a
long way. “We tend to recommend not using
electronic devices or screens two hours before
bedtime,” she says. Instead, she suggests
opting for relaxing stories and avoiding
any overstimulation.

Hawkins says one way to prevent sleep
terrors in children who experience them often
is to wake them up an hour and a half after
they’ve fallen asleep to “disrupt that initial
slow-wave sleep period.”
If your child has a nightmare, Hawkins
recommends discussing it the next morning.

“A SLEEP TERROR IS ACTUALLY MUCH LESS
UPSETTING FOR A CHILD THAN A TYPICAL
NIGHTMARE WOULD BE, WHICH IS IRONIC,
BECAUSE FOR THE PARENT, IT’S GOING TO BE
MUCH MORE UPSETTING.”
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