Bad dreams...
Once again Bethany appears to be having 'vague' nightmares. She can never remember what she was dreaming about, but she wanders into our room mumbling about bad dreams, and if we send her back to her room, she sits there crying.
We were recording Dr Who, and watching it in the morning, but I'm giving up on that idea. On top of that, however, I think I need to restrict most 'adult' tv. On Saturday night, for example, she was watching a bit of casualty with us, and there was a fire, resulting in some bad burns. That night, she was in our room again!
I may also have to watch Amy. Last night she sat with me having her milk, and I was watching Dr Who. At 11:30pm, she was crying, and having to sit up with Daddy! I guess she takes in more than I realise!?
I guess it's time to restrict to The Tweenies?!! ;)
We were recording Dr Who, and watching it in the morning, but I'm giving up on that idea. On top of that, however, I think I need to restrict most 'adult' tv. On Saturday night, for example, she was watching a bit of casualty with us, and there was a fire, resulting in some bad burns. That night, she was in our room again!
I may also have to watch Amy. Last night she sat with me having her milk, and I was watching Dr Who. At 11:30pm, she was crying, and having to sit up with Daddy! I guess she takes in more than I realise!?
I guess it's time to restrict to The Tweenies?!! ;)
posted by Michelle at 16:39
7 Comments:
I think that you know what is causing this...its scary what children see on tv these days. They are children and it seem starnge that welet them into the adult world so young.
Yes.. I've already said that I'll be restricting what she watches. However, when adult tv is on so early in the evening, it's inevitable that they get to see some of it.
Also, she's been great for some time now, but something is flaring them up again.
It must go through phases, and it is hard to break habits when after tea the telly goes on etc but maybe now with summer evening(!) going inot the garden for a game of ball/sandpit/bit of gardening might help. Alterntively work your way though all the kids films/dvd/cartoons to break adult tv habit. It sounds a bit "holier than though" but we try to do board games/books and tickling etc as after teas is about the only time no one is complaining about hunger and nobody dares say they are tired otherwise its off to bed!
Dd, the elder, went through a phase of "night terrors" when she was about 9 years old. She could never remember exactly what these dreams were about, but they really frightened her.
And just last year, her younger sister, who is married and in college, called me and said she'd been experiencing something called "Old Hag Syndrome", which is another form of night terror.
I think it was because she was under a lot of stress. She quit her usual habits of drinking alcohol and smoking when in a social situation, made a point of eating a lighter meal in the evenings and started exercising regularly. The problem went away.
Maybe it's not just what's on TV, but a combination of things that are causing Beth's nighttime troubles.
Perhaps if you tried a new routine of a lighter evening meal, a warm bath before bed and storytime for half an hour instead of TV, the change might put an end to the problem.
Bethany had really bad night terrors when she was younger, so at least we're not back there.
They do have baths in the evening.. and it's persuading hubby to turn the tv off that's the problem! LOL
You can always poke him in the ribs and tell him HE gets to go deal with the bad dreams....just a suggestion...but I bet if he had to do it more than once, he'd turn the TV off!
i don't know if i believe in that cause and effect. my boy (now almost 5) had very bad night terrors and no tv the first two years of his life. he still has bad dreams on and off but it doesn't seem directly related to what he's just seen that day. he may go for weeks seeing nothing but cuddly bunnies (so to speak) and have bad dreams, and then watch his superhero shows and have no sleep problems at all. my wife is always quick to jump on the tv shows, but (as the one who is always up with him at night) i just don't see direct correlations. my guess is it's a lot more complicated; his brain might still be following this trail it set up in infancy for its own purposes. development is so strange.
on another note, my brother also sleepwalked for years - he would even go out of the house and we'd find him sleeping on the lawn. so you might want to make sure your doors are latched in ways they can't easily undo.
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