DD having nightmares every night

[mummytopebs]

DD 4.9 is having nightmares every night and this is really disturbing her sleep and she is constantly thinking about them during the day. Has anyone got any suggestions we could do before bedtime to try and get them to stop? She has had 1 nightmare a week since she was around 2 but they have been accuring every night for about the last 2 weeks and it is really starting to effect her

Is dd a very anxious child?

She is a very anxious child and worries a lot and needs lots of reassurance, her sleep over the last couple of weeks has completly changed its not just the nightmares she is talking in her sleep and thrashing around, i just feel so sorry for her

My ds 5.5 is an extremely anxious child, he worries about anything that involves leaving the house.

I think when they have so many worries during the day, its hard to switch off when it comes to sleeping and hence nightmares, ds has these also.

I have found helping him to manage his anxieties during the day, helps him to sleep better during the night iyswim.

Does dd have a disorder?

Not sure if she has a disorder she has just started going to cahms and they are putting a programme together for her. Does your ds have a disorder? Its awful to watch them so anxious isnt it, i just think to myself your a child you shouldnt be worrying about anything

Ds has lots of sensory issues and possible ASD (this isnt a firm official dx yet, but highly likely) He is also awaiting a referral to camhs!

For example ds worries about any new experience, i make sure i warn him in advance, thereby causing him less stress.

Do you know specifically what your dd worries about?

DD has lots of sensory issues as well, she gets terrbile flashing in her eyes which they have put down to emotional sensory overload and has issues with textures.

She got referred for cahms for rituals she still will only have a poo in a nappy and has to have little figures all facing one way

DD also worries about new experiences and i to warn in advance. She worries about most things, she is constantly asking if she is safe, she worries about wind, cracks in ceilings and walls, poo, death, car crashing, lots of things really

She is very emotional and gets upset really easy. How does your ds cope at school, because my dd seems settled at school although does seem to be struggling with the work and needs support eating dinner

Your dd sounds similar to my ds in lots of ways. Ds would only have a poo in a nappy and wasnt out of nappies until he was about 4. He is now 5.5 and still soils himself. I have now discovered its because he doesnt feel the necessary sensation of wanting to poo, until he has already started to go. He knows he needs to go 'when it pops out' as he says.

Ds has started to see tamhs in school (a sub division of camhs that go into school) Ds really isnt coping in school and thats where most of his anxieties are. He felt other children were hurting him, all they had to do was to look at him (although he had been hit a few times, he couldnt forget it). He doesnt eat at all at lunch time (has a food phobia). At home i use visual sequencing for the things he finds really difficult ie getting dressed, having a bath etc.

We have recently started to use visual timetables, as being told verbally what will happen next, wasnt enough for ds. This has really helped to cut down on his anxieties. His anxieties all stem from the unexpected, the unpredictable, he finds visual reassurance very calming.

Oh would also add social stories have also been great for lessening his anxieties. At bedtime i also use pressure and massage to help relax him. Nightmares and night terrors have most definitely decreased.

Hope some of this might be of some help to you. It is such a shame when the world is such a scary place for children so young.