Search Results for: blog childrens nightmares and night terrors

Nightmare or Night Terror?

Waking up to a screaming child can be traumatizing. Your heart races as you try to figure out what’s going on and then it’s gone as quickly as it comes. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between a full blown night terror and just a regular nightmare. Here are some tips to tell the difference and how to respond when dealing with them. Night terrors usually happen within the first hour or two of sleep, while nightmares tend to happen much later at night, during the second half of sleep. During a night terror your child’s eyes may be … Continue reading →

The Early Years: How Much Do They Really Understand?

The age of your child at the time of your divorce has a profound impact on the way they respond to the changes in their life. Don’t expect them to understand everything that is going on, but be aware, they may know more than you think. Here is a guide to gauge how much your child comprehends the split during the early years and how to ease that transition on them. From birth to 18 months children can feel the tension in the home, but don’t understand the reasoning behind it. They may begin to show some signs of separation … Continue reading →

Night Terrors vs. Nightmares

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I’ve always had vivid dreams: happy ones, sad ones, nightmares, weird ones, dreams that eventually got turned into stories. But every once in a while, a dream leaves me in an absolute panic. I wake up in a sweat, heart pounding, afraid to move and even more afraid to go back to sleep for fear of being back in the dream again. I had one of those last night. While I used to think nightmares and sleep terrors were basically the same thing, they’re not. What’s the difference? Night terrors tend to happen within the first few hours of falling … Continue reading →

There Were Two in the Bed

Lately the little nursery rhyme “Ten in the Bed” keeps coming to mind. Every night it seems, “There were two in the bed and the little one said ‘Roll over, roll over!’ So they all rolled over and one fell out!” Almost every night this week Logan has ended up in Mommy’s bed and inevitably Mommy ends up falling on the floor! At first it was just nightmares, but after the first few nights he realized how much he liked sleeping in Mommy’s bed. He did this when my ex and I first separated too. He was afraid of losing … Continue reading →

Mommy I Need You

Last night my three year old had his first full blown night terror. I’m not sure if it was more traumatic for him or me. My heart about leapt out of my chest as I woke to my baby’s terrified screams. I rushed to him as he reached out his arms to me and cried, “Mommy I need you. Save me.” He spent the rest of the night wrapped in my arms, protected from whatever his three year old fears may be. As a parent we want nothing more than to protect our sweet little children from the evils of … Continue reading →