(HealthDay News) -- Many parents wonder what to do when their children wake up screaming after a nightmare.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests:
- Quickly go to your child's room and offer reassurance that you are there for protection.
- Talk to your child about what happened during the dream, but explain that dreams are not real.
- Leave a light on in your child's room if it provides comfort, but help your child get back to sleep.
- If possible, eliminate anything in the room that your child finds frightening, such as something that casts a shadow.
