My son, aged 7, has very bad nightmares, can anyone help?

Question

Most of the time, its when he has a temperature, like tonight he has a temperature of 101...but he really freaks out.

When i am downstairs, i hear him screaming out, then when i go to the bedroom, he looks at me like he is terrified....and says things that i cant make any sense of....then crawls around the bed like he is trying to get away from something...

Is this normal for a boy of his age, and what can i do to help him when he is having one of these nightmares?

Answer 1

He's having nightmares because he is ill (obviously because of his temperature) Night terrors are quite common in children when they're ill & so is night sweating.
Take him to the doctor & he'll diagnose his illness & once he's well & his temperature has reduced his nightmares will go away.
When he's having the nightmares just consol him by talking softly to him, reassuring him that you're there & try to keep him cool & coax him back to sleep again. Don't get overly anxious.

Answer 2

I have a 8 year old he had the usual bad dreams etc but nothing that bad alot of children are different though
I would take him to the doc's explain what you have said here even keep a diary for a week

It could be down to certain foods
Or a tv programme he has seen
I slept walked as a child as well as fought imaginary people in my sleep (my mother told me) so it could be a over active imagination oh and i never remembered any of it

Something you cold try is a dream catcher i had terrible dreams even as a adult i got one hung it on my bed and i don't get them no more well if i do i don't remember them worth a try?

Good luck!

Answer 3

this sounds like night terrors.
from wikipedia:
is a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. The subject wakes abruptly from slow-wave sleep, with waking usually accompanied by gasping, moaning, or screaming. It is often impossible to fully awaken the person, and after the episode the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking. A night terror can occasionally be recalled by the subject
are thjose the symptoms he has?
The quickest remedy is simply to calm the person by telling the person that you are there for them or simply say, "I'm here". Telling the victim "It's OK" or "nothing's there" may agitate the sleeper further because feelings they are feeling are very real to them and obviously not "OK". However, simply knowing the person's source of "calm" helps immensely. If he/she has a favorite companion dog or cat, telling them that the cat or dog is warm in bed, safe and asleep, and that they need to sleep as well could also be a good trigger. Calm the person and convince them to "go back to sleep"

In some cases, they may be calmed by the mere presence of a familiar person. Night terrors are transitory, so medical help is often unnecessary, but options may range from treatment of sleep apnea to prescription of benzodiazepines and psychotherapy.

A successfully used method for treating night terrors is to have the sufferer sit down and engage them in something light-hearted and harmless, such as television or easy conversation. This helps to distract the sufferer from their perceived experience, and let them regain normal consciousness. More calming, positive reinforcement can then be administered. Turning on lights and appliances like the TV or radio can also help transition the individual into normality, as a lit room with routine sounds is more normal (while awake) than a dark, quiet room

perhaps you should see a doctor to get more info if it is in fact night terrors. good luck! x x x x x

Answer 4

I will tell you one of the only good things my mother told me to do when I was young and had very bad dreams. It really did work for me about 18 years ago.
After your child has a bad dream, tell him to draw out how the scary things looked on a piece of paper. This can be done the next day if you don't want to take the time in the middle of the night.
After your child has drawn out the things that scare him in the dream, tell him to crumple the paper, rip it, shred it, basically mutilate the things that scare him. Then, have him throw it away and it will give him the courage and knowledge to know that he did stand up to the things that scared him and that they are no longer there.

Answer 5

That sounds exactly like the night terrors that my daughter used to have. She would "wake up" screaming.. and essentially wouldn't stop until it was over. There was nothing I could do to comfort her, or help her.. she had to get through it.

Now, my daughter grew out of it around age 4, so I would consider speaking with your son's doctor. Good luck!!

Answer 6

I´d take him to a psychologist. He may be repressing something while awake which is why you don´t notice anything in particular amiss but it comes out at night when the subconcious mind takes over. Has he had any traumatic or strong experiences lately? Can he remember his dreams the next day? Do they have a recurring theme (not the same dream over and over, but maybe in all of them he is abandoned, or in all of them someone is trying to hurt him, or something like that?). I´d seriously take him to a psychologist so they can help you find the root of the problem. If you dont know what causes a problem, you can´t fix it!

Answer 7

I would say it is most likely night terrors. I have had them my son has them. Below are two links that will explain them in detail and also what you can do to help him. He will be okay! Good luck I hope he is well again soon!

Answer 8

I would recomend therapy, and then before bed give him a banana with a glass of milk and a calcium pill. This always makes me sleep better.

Answer 9

ah no this isnt normal nor is having a temp of 101 this means he's sick and probably halucinating you should probably take him to a doctor as soon as possible

Answer 10

first you should talk to your son and try and find out what the nightmares are about maybe they mean somthing.it could be to do with what is happening during the day. and i would also get a dream catcher and put it above his bed.

i hope this helps