At what age do kids start having nightmares?

FeistyFille · October 2011

I think Joseph just had one, and it was soooo sad.

Taytee · October 2011

Any age really. All children must have unpleasent dreams from time to time. The extent to which it impacts them is dependent on temperment. Just like some babies cry when they hear a loud sound while others look rather interested in the direction of the sound.

Abby has only ever woken up with a bad dream once but you could tell she was geniunely scared. It made me super sad too

flymansWife · October 2011

Aw sad

bobcatsteph · October 2011

Weird that you posted this because I think DD had one last night. She kept talking about the bugs and was calling for mommy and daddy.

libbyann · October 2011

Will has recently started having them too. It's so sad

He wakes up shrieking in terror and shaking usually. When I ask him what's wrong, he'll tell me some story that usually has something scary in it (well, scary for a 2 year old, at least).

thethomps · October 2011

I think V's had a couple. The other night she woke up screaming and trembling. It's so sad, especially when they can't explain what was happening.

mrs.wildman · October 2011

I just looked this up and I read 18 months+ they start to develop fear.

Last week, DD started waking a couple hours after going down each night - 4 nights in a row and screaming bloody murder. When I was thinking of reasons for this, the only thing I could think was that I moved DD's night light from one side of her room to the other and there were all kinds of new shadows on her ceiling which scared her (she kept pointing up...). I moved her nightlight to the other side of the room, and the next night (and since) she slept just fine. So crazy to me that fear starts so young.... I was scared of EVERYTHING when I was little, so hoping she doesn't end up like me....

joyco · October 2011

Spence had one the other night and I'm pretty sure Coops has had them for a while.

ec3under4 · October 2011

My son's didn't start until he was over 3 but he was getting them all the time. I give him Hylands Calm Forte tablets and they really help him. Also, if he is in the middle of a nightmare and is just screaming but not woken up yet then I will get him out of bed and take him to the bathroom and this usually is enough to stop the dream.

ShernRich · October 2011

I think DD started having them very early on as an infant when she started sleeping in her crib. She still has them occasionally. We'll hear her scream for a brief moment and then calm down and go back to sleep.

Abrooks · October 2011

DD started when she was 2. She kept having a recurring nightmare about peacocks. To this day - she is scared of peacocks. And there was a giant rooster in there too. I have no idea where this came from b/c she'd not seen roosters or peacocks before then.

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At what age do kids start having nightmares?

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