What age do children have bad dreams?

[Brussells]

2yr old DD woke the other night, crying fairly badly (she normally either comes in to us, or wimpers (or calls for us)). Went in to see what was wrong and she was sat up in bed, and wouldn't let me pick her up. She was pointing at something on her chest of drawers, and saying something I didn't recognize. Took about 15 minutes for her to calm enough for me to pick her up. Rocked her back to sleep as she didn't want to go back to bed initially.

She has done this once before where she cried for ages, and wouldn't let us pick her up. She did everything she could not to be picked up (rolled about, cried, wriggled out of arms).

Wondered whether she'd had a bad dream, and was still half asleep. Or whether it could be something else we should be worrying about?

Sounds like a night terror they usually stop happening as the child gets older.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_terror

Was it early in the night? It could be night terrors, which often starts around that age. More likely when they are overtired.

Bad dreams tend to happen in the later part of the night.

Thanks for the prompt replies. Really appreciated.

It sounds a little like a night terror, but not that extreme. The part about not recognizing us could be why she didn't want to be picked up. DD hasn't been sleeping great due to cold/snotty nose so could be overtiredness too.

Will see if it starts happening more often before I start to worry I think.

2 is about standard. i think it's something to do with the development of imagination?

anyways, dd2 had night terrors at 2, lasted six gruelling months and eventually disappeared, to be replaced by an entire family of imaginary friends (and indeed an entire imaginary family).

Dd2 used to have bad dreams at that age definitely bad dreams rather than night terrors. She'd be having a tantrum in bed "I don't want to go in the buggy/be strapped in..." she'd cry. I'd go in and say firmly to her " no, you're not in the buggy/strapped in, you're in bed" and she'd immediately calm down and go back to sleep. Was quite funny really.

It wasn't set off by anything either, she very rarely went in the buggy, she'd either walk or be carried.

@outofbodyexperience - Thanks. Entire family of imaginary friends? Wow, impressive imagination! :)

@DeWe - thanks. I've not understood what she was saying at the time but it could well be that she's doing something similar. Hopefully it's not going to be a regular occurrence. Kids certainly do some funny things! :)

We had miss hoolie from balamory living on the top bunk in her bedroom for about a year and a half. She disappeared one night and dd2 was inconsolable for days as she knew she wasn't coming back. How on earth do you console a child whose imaginary friend has left her anyway?..... Funny old world.

I am a psychotherapist and author who specializes in helping children and parents. Children can have bad dreams at any age, but once they are old enough to talk, they can be helped to understand that "dreams are stories we tell ourselves for a reason -- we just have to understand the reason." Then parents can think with them about upsetting events that occurred the previous day that might have caused the bad dream. Typical experiences that can cause bad dreams are: fights with siblings or friends; getting in trouble at home or school; losing something important; being ill and having to stay home, etc. To facilitate this process of empowering children to understand the causes of their bad dreams and of helping parents get children to relax and go back to bed, I have written a children's book coming out in March of 2012 entitled ?Mommy, Daddy, I Had a Bad Dream!? for ages thee and up (www.mommydaddyihadabaddream.com).