Can 18 month olds have nightmares?

[melrose]

At the weekwend we took my 18 month old to friends. They have a 1 year old black labrador, who charged up to us and jumped up liking my Ds face. He freaked out and spent the rest of the day running away from the dog, never seen him lookin g so scared (has always loved dogs up to now and wanted to stroke them? When we got back last night he woke up 4 times in the night and seemed really frightened, calmed down as soon as i went in to him, this morning he also seemed frightened ands seemed to be saying "dog". Could he be having dreams about the dog and if so what do we do?? He has started wking in the night over the past few weeks and not going back to sleep unless I stay with him (advice on that appreciated tpp!) but never 4 times in a night

[GREATauntymandy]

poor thing. no advice sorry

[flamesparrow]

Argh - with the staying with him, I am a cruel parent... the only way it ever stops with DD is just stopping cold turkey - she gets cuddles until she is settled, and then is left, even if it means more tears by herself.

Nightmares, not too sure how to go about stopping that particular one - do you know anyone with a small, calm dog that you could take him to see? Sort of get him used to dogs being nice again?

[melrose]

Thanks Flamesparrow, there is a family in the road with a nice dog so may pay them a visit later in the week.

Have no idea how we got into sitting with DS when he wakes up. As a baby used to feed and go straight back to sleep. Then slept through very early. Goes through brief spells of waking up and usually settles back down, but can't leave the room - if I do he screams. Recently gone through fazes of waking and not going back to sleep for a couple of hours. I end up lying on his floor which is no fun now it is colder! I know I need to stop this but not sure how!! Also DH is finding it harder and harder to settle him as he just calls for me. resorting to giving him milk to calm him, which he rapidly downs and falls back to sleep but no this is anouther bad habit to get into

So you settle your DD and then leave her to cry till she goes back to sleep? Does that work? Any help greatly appreciated!!

[GREATauntymandy]

I must admit I do the 'goodnight' and walk away. Unless they are ill or something is really upsetting them

[flamesparrow]

DH keeps starting up the bloody lying on the floor with her thing again .

Yup, we have learnt that we have to settle her from the original reason that we went in (nightmare etc), and then just leave her to cry it out It is hard, but doesn't take long to kick in and she starts settling properly again. Normally where it is halfway through sleep that she has started crying, she is tired enough to fall asleep quickly.

[melrose]

Do they usually settle back down? DS just screams the second I try to leave the room, but I know we need to be tougher!Settles down to sleep in the evening fairly well, although is virtually asleep in my arms after his bottle

[flamesparrow]

Yup - can take a little while, but they settle back down again.

[melrose]

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[melrose]

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