4.5yr old having nightmares - any idea what's going on?

[Witchycat]

DS is 4.5 and has had 3 nightmares in the last 2 days. The first one was when he fell asleep in the afternoon for 30 mins and then he had one last night and the night before - between 1 & 2 hours after going to bed.

Each time he has woken up sobbing and hysterical. Has taken 10 mins or so to calm down & says some really odd things, e.g.
DS - "I don't like it"
Me - "What don't you like?"
DS - "I don't like the penguin"
Me - "What penguin?"
DS - "The penguin outside"

He has also said "I don't like it" and when asked he has said he doesn't like "the jigsaw", "the biscuit", "Lily (his sister) being called Lily"

He doesn't seem to be able to say what's going on when he calms down but I don't think it's a 'night terror' as although he doesn't remember the details, he is aware, the next day, that he's had a bad dream.

A couple of times he has started wimpering when we've been out in the car and he's said he's having the bad dream.

Today, he's said that in the dream he is being shouted at.

He has been a bit ill the last 2 days as he had his 2nd MMR 10 days ago and he had very high temperature (39.3) when he had the first nightmare.

Do you think it's all down to the MMR reaction or something else entirely?

Any idea what I can do to help him ?

Do they grow out of nightmares at some point?

Sorry this is a bit long. Have checked the archives but can't find anything.

Help. Anyone?

He's just done it again. 45 mins after falling asleep he's running into our room to look for us and sobbing hysterically. This time he seemed more 'out of it' and told me to 'go away' a couple of times (although didn't try to stop me cuddling him) before settling and wanting me to stay with him.

My dd (5) has just started to have nightmares. The experience doesnt sound the same though. Has he still got a temperature? I remember terrible delirious (sp) nightmares as a kid when I had a high temperature.

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No, he doesn't have a temperature anymore.

Can't pin-point anything specific that could be causing anxiety. Post Xmas hype plus return to Reception class maybe?

He doesn't seem to be totally 'somewhere else' like I imagined night terrors to be so I think it's regular nightmares. Just can't work out what causes it and how to stop it or if it's just one of those things that will run it's course.

He's always been quite imaginative, sensitive, cautious and prone to worrying about stuff - e.g. panics at hairdressers, dentists, refuses to join in school photo sessions/nativity plays. Hates change. The nightmares are new though. Scary.

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Thanks Orinoco. Can't believe your dd had an imaginary friend so early - that's incredible. Pretty clever I think.

Ds is always difficult when trying to have a 'real conversation' - i.e. he shies sway from talking about anything important. I'm trying to tread the line between encouraging him to talk and not making it too much of a big deal IYKWIM. I've asked him but if he says he doesn't want to talk about the dreams then I've let it go and just told him that if he changes his mind and wants to tell me then he can.

I think if he was going to tell anyone it would be me. He's always been really close to me. (DD seems closer to her Dad - she's just one but I think that's how it will work out.

Just hoping it settles down once he's back into the school routine.

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Bump in case anyone on tonight has any more ideas.

Orinoco - I've got him to tell his teddy bear what he did at school that day before now because all I got when I asked was 'dunno' or 'nothing'. Tried it once about the nightmares but he refused to say anything so I didn't push it.

Incidentally, when he was upset last night I tried to comfort him by saying things like 'It's over now' and 'you're safe now' and he replied 'It isn't' and 'I'm not'. Does a child having night terrors carry on a conversation like that or would they be more 'unreachable'?

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