Not so long ago, medicine very much doubted the existence of children's dreams, arguing that dreams are the prerogative of children after 3 years. Then scientists discovered that newly born babies see more dreams than adults. Some experts say that the formation of the processes of sleep regulation begins in utero.
Dreams have always been considered one of the most mysterious phenomena of the human psyche. Professor of Physiology at the University of Chicago, Nathan Kleitman and his assistant Yevgeny Aserinsky in 1953, for the first time scientifically described the structure of human sleep, consisting of two alternating phases: fast and slow.
Away, nightmares
5-year-old Petya rose from his bed in a dream with a cry and extended his hand in the direction of the door. At the same time his eyes were closed, he continued to sleep. The Baby woke up in tears and told with despair that he had dreamed of the terrible monster that was coming into his room. Such a nightmare "came" to the baby after he watched the cartoons on TV together with other boys.
The child does not react to inquiries and appeals to him, and sometimes he does not remember what happened in the morning. Most often, doctors explain this by overexcitation, strong emotions or lack of sleep.
Sonnologists distinguish two types of "bad" dreams: nightmares and night terrors.The nightmares are bright and colorful dreams, usually coming during a so-called deep sleep or early morning.The horrors happen in the first part of the dream and often represent episodes of panic. in these moments is extremely difficult.Many babies with a bed are associated with negative emotions: terrible dreams, awakening in an empty dark room.It is not surprising that nightmares are a reflection of the great troubles of a little man, for whom It is full of unexpected situations and frightening things.
One of the functions that dreams do is psychological defense of the body, adaptation to emotional stress, help the child learn the information he receives daily.
We envy the carefree childhood life, forgetting that the crumbs are in the country of giants and only begin to learn life. Among the most common childhood fears, based on the instinct of self-preservation, is the fear of darkness, pain, enclosed space, height, depth, sudden sudden sounds. Most often, the stories of the dreams of the kids are associated with the most vivid impressions of the past day. The child argued in the sandbox because of the scapula with another karapuzom, and here he screams in his sleep: "Give, my, give!" I saw a big dog on the street: "Ah, ah, ah, terrible!" According to children's psychologists, most often in dreams, the children come to their favorite toys. From six months to 3 years olds only learn to correctly perceive the external world, so the surrounding environment in a dream can change and become animated. Here are crumbs and talk in a dream with a teddy bear or cardboard cubes. At the 4th year of life, the toddler is no longer a passive contemplator, but an active participant in nightly adventures. He can see himself as a hero, a wizard, a pilot, an astronaut. According to the analysts, such phenomena as terrible dreams should not cause panic in parents, because children, who never had nightmares or, at least, disturbing dreams, are the exception to the rules.
Terrible dreams can be a signal of a child's poor health. Overwork, hunger, pain in the intestines and lack of activity during the day can also provoke nightmares. For kids this is not a fantasy, but another reality filled with events, so dreams worry them more than adults. After 3 years of children with a developed imagination, they may be disturbed by horrors seen on TV or heard unpleasant stories that children like to tell each other.
The main heroes of dreams are monsters and negative movie heroes. Sonnologists also note violations such as sleeping, sleeping (sleepwalking), bruxism (grinding teeth), rhythmic movement disorders. Basically, it is not dangerous and often passes with time.
Do not be afraid of anything
If the baby screams in a dream, do not rush to wake him with loud words and shaking - this can lead to more fright. Neurologists recommend, first of all, to try to lull the baby, press him to him and calm him in a quiet and gentle voice. Most children die down in half-sleep and again return to a healthy sleep. The child woke up? Convince the crumb that he is completely safe, show that there is nothing terrible. In the morning, ask the crumb to draw or describe what he has seen - this will result in the loss of frightening power. The next night, open the door to the nursery, turn on the night lamp, calm the baby. Do not bully the child at all. The frightened crumb is unstable to stressful situations, psychologically weak, passive, subject to someone else's influence. To the problem of nocturnal horrors and nightmares should not be taken lightly, in some cases they can have unpleasant consequences. This can tell the encephalogram of the brain.
Now most doctors agree that pills (antidepressants, cures for pain and insomnia) can contribute to the development of nightmares, because they affect the functioning of the brain.