Nightmares are very common in children and the nights are eternal, but with these tips your little one will be able to sleep peacefully.
Between three and six years old, these dark dreams are usually very frequent since it is a stage in which they feel insecure, when they do not know what is real and what is not, which makes them think that they can have a monster in their room or that witches really exist and it is very common that they mix the reality of fantasy. Furthermore, they are in a process of independence and dependency that makes them feel distrustful with their environment. Check out these tips to prevent your little one from being a frequent client of night terrors.
Leave a small lamp on
These fears are often caused by darkness, it will be best to get used to it little by little, leaving a low intensity light on, so that you can fall asleep.
Stay a while with him
If your fear is also being alone, stay by his side while he falls asleep: meanwhile, tell him a story or lull him to a song. Do not leave his side until he is asleep and you can turn off the light with confidence.
Close everything in your room
It is very normal that they have fears to doors and boxes that are open in his room, teach him that nothing bad is hidden there and together with him, before sleeping, check and close everything, so he will feel protected and safe to go to sleep. This way you will be sure that nothing will come out of drawers, in the closet or even under your bed.
Establish healthy sleep routines
Prepare him to sleep and rest: take a bath, wear a nice and comfortable pajamas, avoid watching TV or playing video games very close at night, since these can generate anguish. Rest assured that you will help him to have a deep, restful and comforting sleep and he will hardly wake up at dawn full of fear.
Teach him to differentiate reality from fantasy
All the little ones like to imitate their favorite characters from television, comics or movies, so it is important that your child learns to differentiate between what is real and what is fiction so that, when sleeping, they do not unleash your imagination on beings and objects that don’t exist. You must know that what you dream is not real, so that you understand that if you wake up in the middle of the night, you should not be afraid.