Bad dreams, how common in toddlers?

[S1ur]

My dd's been having bad dreams over the couple of weeks. Not nightmares or night terrors as such, no screaming or cold sweats. But dreams that wake her up, make her call out in her sleep and have made her cry in her sleep once or twice too

There is nothing stressful happening at the moment, so I'm wondering has this happened to all your 3 year olds? Is it to do with imagination stepping up a gear?

And when does it pass!!!????

[BigBadMouse]

Mine both started doing this at about 15 months (that is when I knew it was a bad dream as I could hear them shout out 'mummy! mummy! No! ). DD1 is 4 in april and does it a little less frequently now but has in the past 3 weeks started sleep walking a lot.

From what I have heard from others it is very common but I don't know when it stops (if ever..)

hth

[Acinonyx]

I don't remember when it started but dd is now 2.5 and regularly has nightmares and calls for me. Now she is old enough to tell me what she was dreaming about - crocodiles and other things with sharp, pointy teeth feature heavily at the moment! I know I had nightmares a lot all through childhood so I am assuming it won't pass but just vary in degree.

[S1ur]

Yeah dd likes to regal me with hers too. Currently featuring wolves and pink cars

I know it won't pass as such but I also think it comes in peaks and troughs and she's at a peak.

She comes into our bed which helps a lot. she still gets dreams but I catch them early and can often settle her before she even wakes.

[Acinonyx]

I think some things do set them off for a while. The pointy teeth obsession began because she saw - no kidding - hardly 5 minutes of 'Finding Nemo' at an afternoon house party. She was a wailing mess when those sharks came swimming out (or Sharps, as she calls them). You just never know when something is going to freak them out.

Is your dd quite easily scared by stuff? Mine really is - it's noth hilarious and tragic...

[S1ur]

Well it's strange. she is very brave about all sorts but peculiar things get her. there's no telling really, she was fine with finding nemo but freaked by numberjack puzzler... (actually that one isn't odd because he is freaky!)

[Bink]

Like BigBadMouse I noticed it from about 14 months. It was worst at just about 4 - ds flying out of bed, hair on end, siren shrieking "I don't want to see a ONE-EYE" (poor thing, it was Monsters Inc.). Nothing ever that bad since.