Giving a ten-minute warning time helps ease the transition to bedtime for some children. Be sure to praise a child when she settles down comfortably. Although time, understanding and interventions solve most sleep problems, some may persist. Most dreams are easily forgotten and every child has an occasional bad dream. Many children, however, have nightmares that are frightening and disturbing to them.
Nightmares usually occur late in the night as the periods of REM sleep grow longer.
The child usually awakens from the nightmare and is well aware of what has happened. Depending on how frightened she is, she may call out frantically for her parents, come into her parents room, or go back to sleep. In the morning, she'll usually be able to recall the bad dream. Nightmares may occur often and become more intense when a child is under stress. Children's tolerance for frightening experiences vary.