The last couple of weeks have seen us venture into new territory with Daisy, she has started remembering her dreams which has brought with it some bad dreams that have woken her up.

Daisy has such an active imagination, she loves playing pretend, making little stories up and telling us all manner of tales, couple that with her starting to understand and question more about the world around her, it’s no wonder her little brain is processing it all in her sleep.

Last week she dreamt that fluff was on her and she didn’t like it, then last night I found her at the end of her bed crying, when I asked her what was wrong she said that crabs were pinching her, this is a reoccurring dream which has meant that her Peppa Pig Summer duvet which I think is the culprit (beach scene with crabs on) has now been retired to the bedding box.

Although it’s awful to see her frightened she does usually settle down really quickly with a reassuring cuddle & kiss, and of course there are plenty of nice dreams to offset the bad.

I don’t know about you but I have always had strange dreams, most nights I remember my dreams and there are several themes that have reoccurred since I was small, I have looked into dream interpretation before but I’m not sure what I believe to be honest, I think it might just be my minds way of processing the events of the day.

Here are some ideas you can use to help your child if they are suffering with bad dreams.

Reassurance

Reassure them that they are safe, a cuddle and a soothing tone of voice goes a long way.

Listen

Let them tell you about their dreams, don’t dismiss them as silly, use the opportunity to open up a dialogue with your child about their fears.

Avoid Scary TV & Books

Keep all bedtime TV shows child friendly and age appropriate, choose books that don’t contain anything a child might find scary or that they don’t understand, most nightmares are caused by anxiety.

Night Lights

I hated the dark as a child and some of my adult life too, Daisy has never had a fear of the dark thankfully and doesn’t like the landing light on but some children find the soft glow under the door reassuring.

There are also some brilliant night lights for children on the market, Daisy has a go-glow night light which doubles as a torch and once charged last a good few nights.

Angela x