Nightmares

[HaloMilliVanilli]

So my five year old has woke up twice this week as the result of some nightmares.  He's been pretty scared and it has taken a few minutes to settle him down.  Grandma, who's primary role in life is to google anything to find a way to blow it out of proportion, says it sounds like he had "night terrors".  My wife used that phrase yesterday.  Just makes me wanna roll my eyes.  Any thoughts?

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

It could really be night terrors.

In all seriousness, it's normal, everybody has nightmares. Being so young, it probably just scares him really bad. If you're able to, lay down with him at night when he goes to bed. My mom used to do that for me.

[Blarg]

I don't want to lecture you about being a parent but maybe he was a little young to be playing The Last of Us before bed time.

[Tank]

take down the joe blanton picture above his bed and he should immediately be better off.

[Tank]

if he has these kinds of scary dreams frequently, you'd be wise to talk with your pediatrician and see what kind of options/treatment is available.

 

if there's been some kind of tramatic or significant change in his life recently, that could be part of his issue.

 

hope the little guy can get some past this quick enough.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

He hasn't been the same since the Dexter finale.  Pretty disappointed.  He's improved slightly now that Walking Dead has returned.  He really loves Carl.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Seriously though, it's not happening every night but the first time he had this recent nightmare/night terror, he let out a blood curdling scream that gave me visions of paranormal activity.  Wifey was pretty freaked out.  I just figure it is a very vivid bad dream he is having, but wifey tells me that the side-effect of some new asthma medication he just recently started is hallucinations.  WTF?

[katie]

My coworker's daughter (also 5) has nightmares very often. She also gets scared very easily. The coworker was telling us the other day she got freaked out by some Halloween song they were singing about vampires in school.

[nate]

My daughter (6) has nightmares that wake her up maybe a half dozen times a year.  Sometimes they come in bunches like two or three in a week and then not again for six months.  I would just keep an eye on it and if it keeps up then it might be a good idea to talk to a doc.

 

Also consider the night time routine.  Change the bed time, read a different book, sing a few songs, etc.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

My boy doesn't get scared very easily at all.  He tends to like scary cartoons (Scooby Doo's) and costumes.  Definitely keeping an eye on it.  As far as the nighttime routine, he goes down around 7:30/8:00 and we read to him prior.  The books are always changing and he usually does the choosing.  Usually superhero books or the like. 

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions and insights.

[mtangelsfan]

My daughter (6) has nightmares that wake her up maybe a half dozen times a year.  Sometimes they come in bunches like two or three in a week and then not again for six months.  I would just keep an eye on it and if it keeps up then it might be a good idea to talk to a doc.

 

Also consider the night time routine.  Change the bed time, read a different book, sing a few songs, etc.

 

You know, you could always pray right before bedtime with your daughter.

[nate]

I will keep that in mind .

[nate]

My boy doesn't get scared very easily at all.  He tends to like scary cartoons (Scooby Doo's) and costumes.  Definitely keeping an eye on it.  As far as the nighttime routine, he goes down around 7:30/8:00 and we read to him prior.  The books are always changing and he usually does the choosing.  Usually superhero books or the like. 

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions and insights.

 

I read recently that having a defined bed time is a lot better for children than a range.  Also keep in mind that at five years old kids are supposed to sleep 11-13 hours a night.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Yeah.  He doesn't go to school until 9.  Typically he wakes up somewhere between 7 and 8.

[katie]

The coworker I mentioned puts her kids to bed at 6pm and they get up at 6am

[notherhalo]

I have nightmares every night, but after enough years of it you stop getting scared and you stop caring....then eventually it becomes your life

 

just tell your child this to calm him/her down

[nate]

The coworker I mentioned puts her kids to bed at 6pm and they get up at 6am

 

Yeah, my daughter goes to bed at 7 and gets up at 7.

[BaseballMom]

My son (34 now) had night terrors when he was around 3 or 4.  He would wake up screaming.  He would be looking straight at me, but it looked like he wasn't seeing me...It would pass in a few minutes and he would go back to sleep.  He never remembered them the next day.  

[Lhalo]

When I was a kid I had a nightmare about a headless giraffe wearing a cardigan while sitting in a rocking chair. It was sitting in the middle of the room in a house on stilts in a bayou. Kind of like that old man at the beginning of the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disneyland. Actually looking back on it, I think it was a human with a giraffe's neck (including the orange spots.)

Anyway, I just figured I'd share that with you guys. Pleasant dreams.

[BaseballMom]

Kids sound like they suck.

 

They are not for the weak, that's for sure

[Tank]

The coworker I mentioned puts her kids to bed at 6pm and they get up at 6am

Ha, those hours sound familiar.

Signed,

Victors mom

[Tank]

Just show him Monsters, Inc. every night before bedtime.