Why do children have night terrors? Night terrors, horrors in children, nightmares, parasomnic reactions Nightmares in a 3-year-old child

“At night, my daughter wakes up with hysterical screams, doesn’t recognize or hear anyone, calms down herself after about five minutes, doesn’t remember anything in the morning. There is no more strength..." (from comments)

To safely help a baby who has woken up with heartbreaking screams, you need to understand why he woke up.

In this article: how night fear manifests itself and its causes, how parents should behave, when and where to seek help.

Night terror is

parasomnia, a condition accompanied by behavioral disturbances in various stages of sleep and during the transition from one phase to another, is caused by the immaturity of the central nervous system (CNS), which explains the more frequent cases in children compared to adults.

Parasomnias (from the Latin word somnus (sleep) and Greek para (something)) are unusual sleep phenomena.

These include nightmares, sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep paralysis, etc.

Synonyms for the phenomenon: Pavor nocturnus, night terror, night terror.

Pavor nocturnus occurs approximately an hour and a half after falling asleep, when deep sleep dominates.

Children aged three to twelve are susceptible to night terrors. Boys suffer more often.

How does night terror manifest itself?

Characterized by instant awakening from one’s own sudden body movements and screams.

Accompanied by severe fear, rapid heartbeat and breathing, redness of the skin, sweating, and dilated pupils. The baby suddenly sits up and screams uncontrollably, his gaze frozen, his eyes wide open in horror.

At the same time, he does not react to others in any way. If woken up, he will be in complete prostration, without orientation in space and time.

Awakening lasts from several minutes to half an hour, the child calms down and falls asleep. The next day he doesn't remember anything.

During an attack, the baby is very active, his behavior may be unsafe for himself and for those around him.

The difference between night terrors and nightmares

The behavior of children during episodes of night terrors and nightmares is very similar, but has a number of fundamental differences that caring parents need to know. The most important difference is awareness on the part of the child.

Nightmare- a terrible dream. The child wakes up from it and can be calmed down. In the morning the baby remembers content and details of the dream.

Pavor nocturnus occurs in the deepest sleep phase. Screams, throwing, open eyes - everything happens while the child is fast asleep and left alone with his fear, screams at you, but does not feel your presence, cannot ask for help. The next day is yours the child will not remember the events of the night.

Causes of night terrors

• Heredity. More common in children with family history night terrors or sleepwalking.

• and disordered sleep.

• Feverish conditions.

• Sleeping away from home, in a new environment. If you have to spend some time in a foreign place, take your favorite toy with you, with which your baby will fall asleep peacefully.

• Traumatic brain injury.

• Medicines.

• Multivitamins. If your child experiences night terrors, try stopping taking vitamins. There are cases when they served as a provoking factor.

• Poor sleep quality:
  for example, due to sleep disordered breathing. Pay attention to how your baby breathes when he sleeps.

• Overexcitement, restlessness, sudden noises, or a full bladder.

• Stressful situation.

• Changed daily routine (new brother or sister, school starts).

• Fatigue is physical and mental.

• Low blood sugar.

How parents should behave

Parents, as a rule, feel helpless, not being able to calm their frightened child.

The best way to cope with an attack is wait patiently. Children usually calm down on their own and go back to sleep.

Don't try to wake up. When your child wakes up, he will not recognize you, will be disoriented, confused and even more frightened, and will take much longer to calm down and fall asleep again. Your task is to protect the child so that he does not get injured.

Only after the episode is over, wake the child. A rapid return to deep sleep may trigger another episode of fear. Offer, if necessary, to go to the toilet before the baby goes back to sleep. Make sure he is fully awake to break the vicious chain.

Try do not discuss with the child or in front of him events of the night, this can increase the baby's anxiety.

How to overcome night terrors

If terror attacks occur frequently and at specific times, keep a diary. After analyzing the records, you can wake up the child 15 minutes before until the expected time of the attack, and then go back to bed. By breaking delta sleep in this way for a week, you will stop the episodes of terror.

Necessary measures.

Every mother has encountered night terrors in children at least once in her life. Most of all, kids are afraid of the dark, bad dreams, loneliness, and the absence of their mother nearby. But not everyone knows how to behave correctly when they find themselves face to face with a problem.

Where do they come from

There are no children who are not afraid of anything at all. But when a child experiences fear of something for a long time, this is already a reason for concern.

Night fears in children do not arise out of the blue; they are caused by a number of reasons and factors:

• heredity;
• difficult course of pregnancy and pathology of childbirth;
• suffered serious illnesses, operations, especially under general anesthesia;
• lack of close emotional relationships with the mother;
• mental trauma of any origin;
• excess impressions, neuropsychic overload;
• unfavorable atmosphere in the family, nervous condition parents, conflicts, frequent quarrels and aggressiveness in relationships with children.

The main sources of fear in children’s lives are:

• events in a child's life(moving to a new place of residence, moving to another school, kindergarten, quarrels, conflict in kindergarten, school, on the street);
• family situation(the birth of a second child, the appearance of a new family member, quarrels, conflicts, violence, parental divorce, someone’s death);
• TV– a huge source for obtaining negative information (crime chronicles, programs about violence, disasters, events, incidents).

Night terrors in children

Symptoms

The child, who was sleeping soundly just a minute ago, begins to cry from a heartbreaking cry. Mom finds her baby all in tears with wide open eyes, full of horror. At the same time, he does not respond to treatment, any words of reassurance, waves his arms, tries to run somewhere. And a few minutes later, as if nothing had happened, he falls asleep. The next morning he remembers nothing about what happened.

Any adult can be frightened by night terrors in children. These are episodes of horror that are accompanied by screaming and panic.

This is a harmless disorder of the awakening mechanism that has nothing to do with mental disorders. Part of the child’s brain remains in the deep sleep phase, and part is ready to move into a less sound sleep phase.

Night terrors are an imbalance caused by overstimulation or fatigue. Fears appear during the first 2 hours of sleep and are considered part of the natural growth process for children under 6-7 years of age.

How to help

Night terrors go away with age, but parents can make their child's life easier by using the following recommendations:

1. Keep calm. This is a common phenomenon, especially among children 3-5 years old, but from the outside everything seems terrible.
2. Be there until it's over. The adult’s task is to protect the child so that during an attack, waving his arms and trying to escape, the child does not cause injury to himself.
3. Don't remember the night's incident so as not to upset. Children often feel awkward due to loss of control.
4. You can prevent an attack of night terrors by waking up. If your child periodically suffers from night terrors, you can try to wake him up 30 minutes after he falls asleep, avoiding a new attack.
5. Make sure your child gets good sleep by increasing sleep time. To a small child Up to 3 years of age, naps should be provided during the day.
6. Make sure your child doesn't get too tired during the day. Children 7-10 years old who refuse naps should be put to bed earlier or allowed to sleep longer in the morning.
7. There must be a close emotional connection and fruitful communication between parents and children. Discuss the reasons for your anxiety. As soon as the child talks about it, he will understand that there is no reason to be afraid.

What are nightmares

Symptoms

Nightmares are vivid, dynamic, plot-rich dreams that occur during the REM phase of sleep, when the brain is especially active.

Nightmares most often occur at night or in the morning and occur in phases of relatively shallow sleep, in the second half of the sleep cycle. It's hard to fall asleep again.

How to help

Scary dreams can bother children from 6 months of age. They are associated with different stages of child development. At 2-3 years old, children often dream that children are left alone; at 4-6 years old they dream about monsters, monsters and darkness.

The baby requires love, attention and care. Simple actions by parents can protect him from nightmares:

1. If a child wakes up from a nightmare and runs to his parents, you shouldn’t scold him for this and send him back to his room. Sometimes, in order to calm him down, you will have to take him into your crib, turn on the light, show him that there is no one there, everything is fine.
2. Break the rules. This is not about following the children's lead, but from time to time you can leave him in your bed overnight or go with him and sit next to him until he falls asleep.
3. Give your child protection from nightmares- his beloved soft toy, which will always protect him from any trouble.
4. Communicate more with your child. Only a close emotional connection with parents can provide the baby with a sense of security. If a child has nightmares, parents can relieve some of the stress.

The main task of parents is to be patient and grow with their children, overcoming fears together.

When to see a doctor

In most cases, parents themselves are able to help their children cope with night fears and nightmares. But there are cases that should alert parents.

You should immediately contact a specialist if:

• attacks of night terrors in children last more than 30 minutes;
• episodes occur in the second half of the night;
• if the child’s behavior is inappropriate, he twitches, his speech is incoherent;
• if during an attack of fear the baby’s actions are dangerous to his health;
• the child develops daytime fears;
• if the cause of a child’s fears may be a stressful situation in the family, frequent conflicts, violence, divorce;
• if nightmares not only do not go away, but, on the contrary, intensify and become more frequent;
• if fears from dreams affect the child’s activity during the day;
• when, under the influence of fears and nightmares, the child often urinates in his sleep;
• in any other alarming case.

Should be paid Special attention for attacks of night terrors, if children have convulsive readiness:

• stuttering;
• nervous tics with rolling eyes;
• tongue sticking out;
• sudden head movements;
• shoulder twitching;
• repeated excessive urination at night;
• attacks of suffocation;
• false croup;
• bronchial asthma aggravates the child's situation.

Fears are accompanied by:

• motor excitement;
• screams;
• sudden movements;
• blackout of consciousness.

This is an urgent reason to consult a doctor, who will carry out diagnosis and special treatment with drugs. The child's sessions with a psychologist will be effective.

Treatment

Drug treatment for nightmares is not usually prescribed. If nightmares are a consequence of a physical or mental illness, treatment should be directed at it. If nightmares are a result of stress or anxiety, consultation with a psychotherapist or psychologist is recommended.

In rare cases, for severe sleep disorders, medications are used to reduce rapid eye movement or prevent waking up during the night.

Diagnosing children's fears is the job of a psychologist. During communication with children, specialists determine the degree of threat, sources and prescribe methods of control using various techniques:

1. Effective methods of working with children include drawing fears, role-playing games and theatrical performances, where causes and consequences are explained using the example of fairy tale characters.
2. Children are a reflection of the family situation, parental anxieties and fears. It is the parents who reinforce the child’s behavior pattern by imposing excessive mistrust and cowardly behavior.
3. In order for the baby to be less afraid of the dark and bad dreams, parents should avoid conflicts and improve relationships in the family. Playing sports has a positive effect on children. This could be swimming, jumping with obstacles, neutralizing fears of the dark, heights, and water.
4. Working with children's fears involves directly removing children's fear of fear. After all, being afraid is normal and natural. Fear helps you avoid danger. Parents should repeat that being afraid is not a shame, you need to accept your fears.

Raising a brave and active baby is not easy, but it is possible using some tricks:

1. Never humiliate a child or raise him high. Communicate as an equal adult family member and individual.
2. Do not scare the child, do not punish.
3. Children need communication with parents, relatives, friends, and peers.
4. Draw and make with your child what he wants more often. This will help neutralize fears. In addition, you can evaluate the psychological state of his work.
5. Don't forget the importance of physical contact with your child. Hug, stroke him, kiss him more often. This will give you a feeling of security and safety.
6. A favorable atmosphere in the family will help neutralize fears or reduce them to a minimum.

Every person has fears. And if adults can, with a great desire, get rid of them on their own, then children will not be able to do this without the help of their parents.

No one will object that there is a close emotional connection between a child and his parents, especially his mother:

1. If parents were exposed to night terrors or suffered from nightmares as children, their children are more predisposed to these phenomena than those whose parents did not.
2. Parents who experienced attacks of fear in childhood react more painfully to such phenomena in their children than those who did not have these fears, fixing children's fears at the level of a reflex. Anxious expectations of the next attacks at the subconscious level provoke them. Parting words like: “If anything happens, we’re nearby, call me,” “Go to bed, otherwise you’ll dream again,” “Don’t be afraid, there won’t be any bad dreams,” on the contrary, play the role of an invitation and perpetuate fears.
3. The emotional psychological state of adults is transmitted to their children. If the mother is constantly worried, she is tormented by fears for any reason and panic takes over her, then the baby experiences similar emotions. Is it possible to guarantee a baby a restful sleep and protection? Parents urgently need to bring their state into balance so as not to pass on anxiety to their children, otherwise problems with children’s sleep cannot be avoided.

Typical mistakes of adults

To cope with children's fears, parents must remember some rules:

1. You should never deny or ridicule fear, as a phenomenon. The baby expects understanding. Give it to him. Phrases: “What have you come up with?”, “Stop it!”, “You’re so big and you’re afraid!” will not bring any result.
2. You can’t reproach or shame a child for his fears. This will add anxiety and guilt. Even a “future man” has the right to fear.
3. A child should not be asked to overcome fear directly., leaving in a dark room. Help him overcome his fear. Walk together through “scary” places where imaginary creatures may be hiding, so that he can see for himself that there is nothing scary there. Looking under the bed, in every corner, on every shelf, and not finding a threat there, the child will calm down.
4. Don't scare children that if he behaves badly, a monster (Baba Yaga, Barmaley, Babai) will take him away.

Children's imagination is the cause of night anxiety

All children are different. Everyone has their own views on things, imagination, fantasy. Children are able to invent the objects of their night fears for themselves, endowing them with the most insidious traits. To combat night terrors in children, parents can use their own abilities.

It is important to draw the baby into contact by telling stories, including him in the dialogue, in order to find out the cause of the anxiety:

• Come up with a story together with a happy ending that would tell you a way to eradicate fear.
• Together you can draw what exactly the child is afraid of, and then destroy the drawing, and with it the fears. The child must understand that his night fears exist separately from him, and he can control, change and defeat them.

How to overcome the fear of the dark

Fear of the dark is the most popular children's fear, which everyone goes through. There is a huge space for imagination here. The task of parents is to direct imagination against fears.

Weak light sources are the first helpers in the fight against the fear of the dark. By taking care of the interior of the children's room and providing the baby with light sources of light, parents also dispel fear.

These could be fluorescent stickers in the shape of stars, a night light in the form of a favorite animal that will protect, or the sun that shines even at night.

Fear of loneliness

Children often mask their fear of loneliness under the fear of darkness. The child simply lacks communication with his family: dad and mom.

If a child, captivated by other activities, for example, playing, is not afraid to stay indoors without lighting, but calls his parents in the middle of the night, then what really worries him is not fear or a nightmare, but loneliness.

Try to give your baby more time and attention during the day, then at night he will stop calling for help.

Prevention

It is easier to prevent any problem than to fight it. By providing conditions for normal sleep, we will reduce the risk of developing night terrors.

Night terrors and nightmares are common in children preschool age. It will not be possible to completely eliminate them; you can only alleviate the child’s fate.

Sleeping room

If material and living conditions allow, it is better to allocate a separate room for the child to sleep. The atmosphere should radiate peace and comfort.

1. Linen should be clean, fresh, made from natural fabrics in light, calm shades or with images of your favorite fairy-tale characters.
2. It is allowed to use a “magic” night light that will drive away fears, or a favorite toy.
3. It is recommended to isolate the room where children sleep from unnecessary noise and sounds.
4. According to the recommendations of Dr. Komarovsky, the air temperature in the room should be 16-20 ° C and air humidity 50-70%. Frequent wet cleaning and ventilation are mandatory.
5. To protect your child from injury and damage during an attack of fear, you need to check the sleeping area for sharp corners and dangerous objects.
6. A radio or video baby monitor will help you find out about the onset of an attack of fears or nightmares if the baby is in a separate room.

Bedtime ritual

The child should be taught to go to bed at the same time every day.
The ritual of falling asleep should be pleasant, able to relax the baby after a busy day, and calm his wild imagination.

They will help you find a restful sleep, distract from fears, creating a favorable atmosphere, and feel the love and care of your parents:

• favorite fairy tale with a happy ending;
• sweet lullaby;
• listened to light music;
• soft toy;
• Mom's tender hug and goodnight kiss.

You should pay attention to your diet. In order not to overload the stomach before bedtime, to direct the brain to a calm rest rather than digesting food, heavy fatty fried foods should be excluded, sweet drinks, sweets, and chocolate are strictly prohibited.

Psychological comfort

A healthy psychological climate in the family is important for normal sleep and development of children. The child should be protected from unwanted negativity. Only a trusting relationship between parents and children can provide normal conditions for the development of the baby.

Parents must remember that only love for children, respect for their opinions, wise upbringing, and attentive attitude are the key to the baby’s health, restful sleep for the whole family, and happiness in general.

Video: How to measure children's fears

Much less often than for children. At the same time, babies can experience nightmares as early as one year of age.

According to some researchers, every second or third child aged from 3 to seven years is susceptible to nightmares. At the same time, they interfere with sleep not only for children, but also for their parents.

Scary dreams can unsettle all family members and hinder the proper development of the child, driving him into depression, fear, and depression.

In this article: why does a child have nightmares, their nature and reasons, what parents should do, how to help a little person cope with night terrors.

The nature of childhood nightmares

Over the past few decades, the psyche of children has been subjected to enormous psycho-emotional stress and stress. A clear dependence of the frequency and degree of nightmares on strength, experiences, and excess of emotions has been established.

Computer, TV, psychological atmosphere in the family, kindergarten, school, in the yard - everything affects the quality of children’s sleep. Their surroundings (parents, educators, peers) often themselves need the help of psychologists. As a result, the number of children suffering from nightmares is steadily growing.

A nightmare suddenly arises in the phase, in the morning or in the second half of the night.

Character of the dream– very intense and colorful with elements of hopelessness and hostility.

The plot is threatening: pursuit, danger, punishment, suffering, death. The baby experiences fear of such strength that he quickly wakes up from horror. He can easily remember the nightmare down to the smallest detail and tell it not only immediately after waking up, but also the next day.

After such a nightly “adventure”, falling asleep easily again is excluded.

Rare Nightmares in children they are more common and do not pose a serious problem. They go away by the age of 5–6 years. Parents easily cope with this type of nightmare by normalizing the atmosphere in the family, and taking other necessary actions.

Frequent and severe nightmares can seriously interfere with the lives of both children and those around them. Emotional, highly imaginative, hypersensitive children aged 3 to 5 years are especially susceptible to intense nightmares. They can confuse dreams and reality, which complicates their communication with people around them and their proper development.

The memory of night terrors causes nervous disorders, daytime hysterics, negative or depressed behavior. The child may experience fear of falling asleep, bed, or loneliness.

Children's nightmares at different ages

For the first time a little person faces his fears at about 3 years old. Psychologists consider this process a natural and logical stage in the development of a person, the maturation of his nervous system.

Children of all ages experiencing manifestations of nightmares. Their greatest number fixed from 3 to 5 years. At this age, boys are more likely to have scary dreams.

Another wave of fears begins at 6 and 7 summer age : Children experience increasing pressure at school and family. Particularly impressionable people who learn that (a crushed bug dies forever) experience fear of reality.

Parents need to create an atmosphere of absolute security in the house. The issue of death and life can be discussed without unnecessary details, but seriously and honestly, try to give only the information that the child requests.

The child's psyche at this age is very vulnerable; parents should carefully filter the information to which the child has access: exclude scenes of cruelty, violence from TV screens, computer games.

From birth to 7–8 years a child sees more nightmares than in his entire life. The number of scary dreams decreases with age. Scientists explain it this way: children’s nightmares are a natural and necessary stage of brain development, during which the child learns to overcome fears and cope with various problems.

By the age of 12 Most children are completely free of night terrors.

IN adolescence nightmares are not excluded, their causes and content are closer to the nightmares of an adult.

How to understand that a child is scared

A little person can experience a variety of fears: being afraid of strong thunder, a big dog, stranger, dark room...

It is not uncommon for parents themselves to serve as a source of fear: “if you don’t sleep, a little gray top will come and bite you on the side”; “If you don’t obey, the evil uncle/aunt will take you away,” “If you don’t wear a hat, you’ll get sick,” etc.

It's a disaster if the fear is limited. If children's fears last a long time and poison the child's life, action must be taken immediately.

Signs severe fright and tormenting fear:

• screams in sleep (frequent and prolonged),
• sleep disorder,
• enuresis,
• poor appetite
• depressed mood, irritability, outbursts of anger, rage,
• recurring headaches, abdominal pain, nervous tics, joint pain,
• repetitive movements (pulls earlobe, twists hair, etc.),
• deception of loved ones.

Causes of nightmares in children

The source of a child’s nightmare can be any of the reasons listed below.

Psychological.

• Psycho emotional condition expectant mother:

psychologists have proven that pregnancy, childbirth and the first weeks of life can serve as the beginning of a child’s fears and nightmares, which find their outburst during the development and growth of the baby.

Therefore, the emotional state of a pregnant woman is crucial for the psyche of the unborn child, because from the age of 6 weeks the fetus experiences her emotions with its mother.

• Car accident, surgery.

• Unfavorable atmosphere in the family: quarrels between parents, clarification of relations between them, divorce, very strict upbringing, cruel treatment of family members, lack of punishment.

• Lack of contact with peers, failure to receive the necessary psychological support from communicating with them.

• Chronic fatigue, nervous exhaustion due to emotional overstrain:

The child spends a lot of time in front of the computer and TV and experiences physical and mental overload.

• Stress when entering kindergarten, school.

• Age-related fears that worsen in a locked or dark room (fear of the dark, confined space, loneliness).

• Watching horror films, disaster films, television news at night.

Organic.

• Violations in the baby’s health: improper functioning of the heart and blood vessels, difficulty breathing, fever, adenoids, enuresis, etc.

• A full bladder can also result in fears and nightmares at night.

• An emerging acute respiratory viral infection with terrible dreams approximately two days before the obvious illness.

Food.

• Changed diet.

• Heavy and spicy dishes in the second half of the day.

The main resources of the brain are aimed at processing and breaking down such products, which forces the baby’s brain to work in emergency mode. As a result, when falling into sleep, the stage of nervous inhibition does not go through, which provokes a disturbance in the child’s sleep.

The sleep-wake pattern is disrupted.

• No sleep rituals.

• Child at an unspecified time of day.

• Outdoor games and emotional arousal before bedtime.

How to overcome your child's nightmares

When faced with a situation where your baby is having nightmares, There's no point in losing your composure. Don't show that you are also scared and upset, convince him that there is no danger.

Calmness and confidence will help you and your child in difficult situation. First of all, try to determine the possible cause of a child's nightmare (list above).

Try to restore your emotional connection with your baby.

Limit aggressive environmental influences effects on the child’s psyche: watching TV; computer games; cartoons that irritate the psyche; presence during domestic “showdowns” (children should be isolated from parental disagreements).

Normalize your sleep and rest patterns. Create conditions for your baby so that he goes to bed at a regular time.

They are excellent helpers for healthy sleep. Be sure to introduce them, they will become a sleep talisman and support in difficult times for the rest of your life.

Pay attention to the health of your son/daughter.

Mental support. Don't leave the little man alone before bed, stay close until he falls asleep, read a fairy tale, surround him with care and affection.

Kiss your child good night and express your love to him. Let him feel needed and protected.

If you feel that baby is ready to discuss his nightmare, listen carefully and together try to “decipher” the terrible dream.

Offer to draw the characters in the dream and what happened to them. Make the plot funny. And then tear the drawing into small pieces: this action will convince the child that the nightmare has been destroyed, which means it will not return.

Phytotherapy– an excellent assistant in the fight against childhood nightmares. Before bedtime, your child can be given warm infusions of soothing herbs: lemon balm, chamomile, calendula, etc. (be sure to study the contraindications before use!).

Calm walks on fresh air , a relaxing warm bath, an interesting story before bed, an intimate conversation - will provide a good relaxing effect, .

Moderate physical activity, regular morning exercises also help promote healthy sleep. Fill your child's day with interesting outdoor games and positive experiences.

Discussing dreams with your child will help you find the cause of the nightmare. Somnologists say that children's nightmares indicate that they are learning to deal with fears, find solutions to problems, and gain experience of life in reality.

Parental support is very important on this path; their duty is to help the child perceive the environment adequately.

Evening reading of fairy tales– useful not only for children, but also for adults. Reading a fairy tale before bed creates a transitional mood in the child’s consciousness from reality to magical journeys in the world of dreams. And it helps parents calm down and take their mind off pressing problems.

The baby doesn't want to fall asleep because there is a monster, a bear or someone else behind the closet. Give your child what he needs most at the moment - PROTECTION. Arm yourself with a vacuum cleaner, broom, mop and “drive out” this miracle Yudo. And definitely with the participation of the baby!

Nightmare Diary. If horrors visit your child more than once, then in overcoming this misfortune there will be a diary in which attentive parents should record the events that preceded the nightmare.

Having caught the consequence of bad dreams from certain incidents (communication with unpleasant peers/educators/teachers, failure in kindergarten/school), you can create a scenario for a successful dream in which the child wins in a problematic situation.

Ask your son/daughter to draw what he dreamed and complete the happy development of the plot.

If persistent nightmares occur with cries of horror, they require especially attentive attention from parents, contacting doctors for comprehensive assistance, including brain studies and polysomnography.

Summary

When faced with childhood nightmares, don't lose your composure. Try to establish an atmosphere of goodwill and safety in the family.

Give your child the most important thing - and the reliability of the world around him. Look for the cause of the nightmare and eliminate it. And remember: positive emotions, love and support from parents are the best ingredients for the development of a free creative personality.

The topic of children's nightmares is complex and topical. Today we touched on only some of the current issues:

Why does my child have nightmares?, their nature and reasons, what parents should do, how to help a little man cope with night terrors.

In the following publications:

• what, as they appear, is the correct behavior of parents during attacks of night terrors, recipes for effective disposal of this scourge.
• may cause nightmares for a child.

This is a problem that concerns not only ordinary people, but also psychologists. All this is connected with the human subconscious, which has not yet been fully studied. This negative phenomenon is especially evident in childhood. As experts note, adults are less likely to experience nightmares.

The nature of children's night terrors

Studies have shown that children experience nightmares as early as one year of age. A third of children have scary dreams between the ages of 3 and . This affects not only the mental health of the child, it worries his parents, because they also have to worry badly and see doctors. This will unsettle even the strongest person.

In addition, such phenomena also affect the development of the child. He becomes depressed, joy disappears, and then depression may develop in adolescence. Parents want to know what is the cause of their son or daughter’s nightmares, and how to get rid of them? After all, something must be done so that the child sleeps peacefully.

What affects the quality of children's sleep?

It turns out that the child’s psyche can suffer not only from unfavorable relationships in the family, but also television and. If nightmares are a rare occurrence, then by the age of 5-6 they usually pass, and then the child sleeps peacefully. This is easy to deal with; you don’t need to show your son or daughter to doctors. You just need to normalize your sleep and rest patterns, and then everything will be fine.

It is important to know: emotional children with pronounced imagination are most often susceptible to nightmares. This usually applies to children aged 3-5 years. It often happens that they even confuse reality with a dream.

Nightmares are a problem not only of sleep, that is, at night, they are also reflected in the daytime. Such children can roll up during the day, which causes the development of nervous disorders. The child may be in a depressed mood and afraid to fall asleep. He may even be afraid of his bed. As a result, he begins to be afraid to be alone.

Video on how to get rid of childhood nightmares

Causes of childhood nightmares

As many experts note, nightmares in children arise because their psyche is not yet fully developed and is highly susceptible to various external factors. The consequence of poor sleep is the child’s screaming, he often cries and sleeps poorly. But you shouldn’t panic too much about this; you don’t need to immediately contact a pediatrician and, especially, a psychologist.

Nightmares can appear for various reasons:

1. The baby got very excited before going to bed. Parents think that a child jumping and having fun in the evening is very good. But it ends with mom or dad having to get up in the middle of the night and go to the crying child.
2. A child can become overexcited not only from active games before bed, but also from cartoons, and even more so from films with elements of violent scenes. They should never be shown to children in the evening.
3. This can happen if the already established sleep-rest pattern is disrupted. For the baby this ends in stress; what is unusual for him often ends in terrible dreams. Especially if you had to move to another place of residence and spend the night with other people.
4. Such an ordinary phenomenon as a full bladder can also be a consequence of a nightmare. This problem can be resolved very quickly; parents should teach their son or daughter to visit the bathroom before going to bed. But it also happens that a child suffers a head injury. In these cases, he begins to experience nightmares. And besides, falling asleep itself will be difficult and problematic.

Equally important is the diet: when does the child eat in the evening and what kind of food? And if he eats in the evening, what could happen, how will it end? It must be remembered that the digestive system is closely connected to the brain. It is necessary to process the food received, so certain signals are received from the brain, and at night it begins to work in accelerated mode. As a result, the child sees nightmares while sleeping.

Symptoms of nightmares in children

If a child has a bad dream at night that causes fear, this is not yet a reason to turn to a specialist for help. But when certain symptoms appear, parents need to think about it. What should you pay attention to first?

1. Nightmares begin to happen more often.
2. If in one night there are not one, but two terrible dreams.
3. When the nightmare lasts not 10-15, but 30-45 minutes.
4. Physical manifestations begin to appear: muscles twitch, foam appears at the mouth.
5. During sleep, the child begins to get out of bed and walk around the room.

The problem may also be that the son or daughter does not just see horrible dream, but he remembers it well and can talk about it even the next day.

Diagnosis and treatment of night fears in children

To begin treatment of the disease, it must be detected. This means that diagnosis of nightmares and monitoring of the child will be needed. If the baby wakes up in tears and starts crying, this is not a reason for serious concern. After this, parents should be more attentive and observe: is this the only phenomenon, or is it recurring?

But it may also be that the child does not cry, does not wake up, but sweats a lot in his sleep, tosses and turns, and his heartbeat may increase. This is a sign that treatment for the child should begin. But a mother should never be nervous, especially in the presence of a child. Otherwise, his psychological state will worsen even more. He can withdraw into himself and become nervous for any reason. As a result, problems will begin not only with the psychological, but also with the physical health of the child.

Treatment of a child who suffers from nightmares should begin not with the doctor, but with the mother. The psyche of a growing child must go through a stage of maturation. So what can mom do?

1. You need to be able to calm the baby. This can be done by hugging, you must try to convey to him the idea that his mother is nearby, he has nothing to be afraid of.
2. We must not allow bad memories to remain in the child’s head. You need to ask him to tell you what he dreamed.
3. Mom needs to stay in the room and make sure the baby is asleep. It is important that he does not toss and turn and does not jerk his legs. This is a sign that the nightmare continues.
4. Under no circumstances should parents show their child that they are worried and worried. Even if he again begins to raise the topic of what scared him at night, it is necessary to immediately talk about something else.

If this can be done, you should find out what is causing the nightmares. For example, when a child begins to be afraid of the dark, it is advisable not to turn off the light at first until he falls asleep. To do this, you need to install a night light; you should not leave general lighting in the children's room.

A normal psychological state in the family plays a big role. This definitely affects the child’s psyche. If the nightmares continue, this is an indication that you need to contact child psychologist. Will there be any medications that the child will need to take? They are prescribed, but in very rare cases and only in extreme situations. They need to be taken for a short period of time so that there are no side effects.

conclusions

A good way to combat children's nightmares are walks with the whole family and trips into nature. Why shouldn't parents consider attending performances at weekends? children's theater, circus, zoo? There are other opportunities to give the child an even greater sense of the presence of his father and mother in his life. It is important for him to understand that they love him and care about him. A properly selected regime of games, nutrition, and sleep also plays an important role.

Attention! The use of any medications and dietary supplements, as well as the use of any therapeutic methods, is possible only with the permission of a doctor.

Night tantrums are a frequent guest in families with preschoolers. Every fourth family knows what it is, and every seventh experiences episodes of uncontrollable nighttime agitation all the time. Why does a child wake up at night hysterical?

What would that mean?

When experiencing nightly tantrums in a child, every parent asks himself this question.

Hysteria is a special form of strong nervous irritation that leads a person to a partial or complete loss of self-control.

In children, it manifests itself in the form of loud screaming, crying, convulsive sobs, accompanied by motor excitement, rolling on the floor. Most often, a child wakes up at night with hysterics from 1 year to 5 years. The persuasion of adults does not help.

Hysteria can occur 1 to 3 times in one night, and it can last from 5 to 40 minutes.

Is it dangerous?

Doctors say that in most cases, when a child wakes up at night and screams hysterically, this is not a disease, but a feature of a tender childhood. Its reason is the immaturity of the nervous system of children.

Pediatricians say that in most cases, nighttime tantrums are not dangerous and do not require treatment. By the age of 7 years, they go away on their own.

Why does a child wake up at night and scream hysterically?

A child's hysteria at night can occur for one of the following reasons:

• The presence of a neurological diagnosis that confirms the baby’s increased fatigue.
• Excessive emotionality of the child. Sensitive children, who react subtly to events that occur during the day, are more susceptible to night tantrums.
• A large number of impressions that a child is forced to “process” in a day. If in one weekend the child visited the cinema, the zoo and children's party, his nervous system is in a state of extreme excitement. This excitement does not have time to “fade away” and remains overnight. In this case, the baby’s sleep is superficial and weak. At night the child is hysterical, but being in an affective state, in the morning he does not even remember about it.
• Stress that accompanies a child throughout the day. There may be many moments that a child perceives with a negative emotional connotation. This is adaptation to a new team - getting used to a kindergarten group, feeling unwell after an illness, a reaction to the departure or separation of parents.

Possible consequences of night tantrums

Episodes of nocturnal agitated behavior cause the following symptoms:

• drowsiness;
• headache;
• bad mood;
• anxiety.

The result can be poor health not only for the child, but also for his parents. While calming the baby, who has raised all the sleeping family members, parents become nervous, do not get enough sleep and experience the same negative feelings.

Getting rid of the problem

A child’s tantrums before bed or at night, if they do not become persistent, do not need to be treated. You can help your child by showing extra attention, love and care.

Parents' behavior when their child is hysterical at night

• At the first screams coming from the nursery, you should get up and go there. It is important to understand that an episode of nighttime arousal is often not recognized by the child. It may be part of a dream.
• Without losing your calm, approach your baby and hug him. Stay with him until he calms down. In this case, you need to hold him firmly, but not rudely, and calmly wait until the hysteria subsides.
• When you extinguish night tantrums in a 2-year-old child, special physical strength is not required. With older children this is more difficult, because during uncontrollable excitement they can wave their arms and legs so much that they involuntarily hit you. For this purpose, you can use a blanket or blanket. Wrap your screamer up like a baby and hold him until he stops kicking, then rock him gently. Take your baby to the toilet and send him back to bed.
• Don't make these nightly episodes something pleasant. Do not allow the rest of the night to be spent in your parents' bed. Strictly limit persuasion and conversations in general. When you start talking to your baby, you can focus your child on the attention you are giving him at such an inopportune moment. Children easily reinforce deviant behavior for the sake of the favor they receive.

Prevention of night tantrums

In order to reduce episodes of agitation to zero, it is better to prevent them rather than extinguish them.

These tips will help not only when the baby screams at night, but also when the child is hysterical before bed:

• Follow your baby's daily routine. Tell your baby about his plans for the day. If a child knows the schedule of his affairs and classes, this reduces his nervous tension;
• Introduce strict restrictions on watching TV and electronic gadgets. It is better if they are not used at all two hours before bedtime;
• Instead of watching TV in the evening, read interesting books, listen to music, play calm games;
• Night tantrums in a child 3 years of age and older are significantly reduced if there is no stress in his life. This condition is provoked by poor nutrition, lack of sleep, negative emotions, and a feeling of loss of control over life;
• Vivid impressions and a large amount of entertainment during the day reliably increase the occurrence of hysterics;
• Provide your child with what he can physical activity. Non-competitive sports will be useful - swimming, gymnastics, yoga;
• During the day, give your child enough attention, talk and play with him;
• Don't demand too much from your baby. Modern children have a very stressful lifestyle, and stress is a companion to this lifestyle.

Doctor's help

If the efforts of the parents do not help, and the child wakes up at night and screams in hysterics several times a night, without calming down for more than 40 minutes, then this problem goes beyond the “home” category and the child should be shown to the pediatrician.

The doctor may prescribe:

• sedatives;
• massage;
• physiotherapy;
• examination of the nervous system.

Being a parent is not an easy job. There are many problems along the way that you need to solve on your own. Having corrected the situation when a child wakes up at night with hysterics, mothers and fathers become more experienced. They are relieved to realize that they can handle this and other problems of raising children.

Children's hysteria in a dream. A child has a tantrum at night. Sleep strategy for children over one year old