does your child need a doctor right now?

Bad dreams are a normal part of childhood. The monster under the bed and the one in the closet are always there and are usually always conquered by Mom or Dad. However, when a child's nightmares become constant and troubling, many parents do not know where the monster causing them may be hiding, much less how to squash it. Find out more about how to learn which monsters are behind your child's nightmares and night terrors.

Tactical Approaches For Monster Combat

As a parent, you may worry about your child when he or she is suffering with recurring, frightening nightmares. Your little one may be wetting the bed, screaming out during all hours of the night and yelling for you and your spouse to come quickly, to help. One bad dream in a few months is one thing, but when your child is dealing with monsters every night, locating those monsters is your first step to squashing them out. Learning more about what is bothering your child can help put you on the right path to the monster behind your child's nightmares:

• School can be pressuring for your child and when something is going on (like bullying or problems with a teacher) that your child is afraid to talk to you about, he or she can hold those fears in. In many cases, the result of holding in the fear about a problem at school is nightmares. The monster in this case is stress and is luckily one of the easiest to squash. Talk to your child about school frequently and learn what is going on every day in his or her life. Doing so could help you learn about all the monsters (like sadness, anger and anxiety) that follow school-related stress and are out to terrorize your child's sleep through horrific dreams.
• Some of the monsters out to frighten your child are family problems. Some family problems can create serious issues in children, not only nightmares but health issues like headaches and nausea due to anxiety. This is especially common in children whose parents are going through a bitter divorce. Unfortunately, family problems can be hard monsters to squash on your own. Seeking the help and advice of a qualified counselor is best. Dealing with a family problem is easier by someone that is objective and can stand back and see clearly from your child's perspective.
• Fear generated by external influences like video games and movies is a group of monsters every parent can stop at their front door. Never having to deal with the nightmares these monsters cause is easiest by limiting your child's television time and by always closely monitoring the content they are watching and reading. Some video games you may think are harmless are actually violent and horrific. Be sure to always play the games your child loves to see what is in every level of game play. Doing so could be the best way to stop some nightmares before they start.

Learning more about the monsters that cause your child's nightmares can start with professional counseling. If you are worried about your child and have no clue what to do about his or her bad dreams, you can get the back-up you need to combat nightmare monsters by contacting an experienced counselor or doctor, such as someone from Rainbow Pediatrics, for a thorough psych evaluation of your child.