Do children have nightmares? At what age?

Most children experience nightmares from time to time. It can start when the child is about 2 years old and reach a peak between 3-6 years old. Nightmares usually occur later in the sleep cycle from 4-6am but the frequency differs from one child to the other. Possible causes of nightmares: - Stress and strains of growing up - Traumatic event such as an accident or surgery - Fever - Active imagination When nightmares occurs, go to your child as soon as you can. Cuddle and reassure your child, talking calmly and gently. Stay with them until they have calmed down. Encourage them to talk to you about their nightmares. Do not ignore the child, if you refuse to go to them, they will get more upset and frantic. Do not get angry with them, expressing anger or tension will only upset them more. Do not allow them to sleep with you when you are tired and wishing for an easy solution. Eventually, they may insist on sleeping with you all the time.

Nightmares usually start when children are 3 to 4 years old, and children wake up from them feeling scared (and could remember the nightmare). Nightmares tend to occur during rapid eye movement stage of the sleep when the brain is very active and is sorting through experiences and new information. Reassure your child after a nightmare. Your presence will help your child feel safe and secure. Also, tell him/her that it was just a bad dream and was not real. Let him/her know that it is natural and okay to feel scared and that everyone has nightmares once in a while. Help your child go back to sleep after he/she has calmed down.

Hey, I think child's nightmares have to do something with how their day pass and when they develop the understanding of how they are being treated and the understanding of emotions like, fear, dislike and discomfort. I guess, they start getting bad dreams when they are around 3 or 4. Like my daughter sometimes suddenly cries in the middle of the night for no reason and that has something to do with the fact if she has fallen somewhere in the afternoon or if I have scolded her or anything that she did not like in the happenings of the day.

my daughter just fell off the bed last 2 weeks that is how i knew that she start to have a dream. My daughter is 3 years old so i believe that around this age, child starts to know that they have a dream.

One or two times for first child. Second had consequently