Programming Your Child's Dreams for a Better Night's Sleep

Night terrors are a fairly common occurance among young children. But, there are ways that you can help your child sleep better. One tactic I've used with my little ones is dream programming.

Since my eldest was just a baby, she's had a thing for unicorns. She had a stuffed unicorn that she carried everywhere with her, by it's horn.

I started helping her sleep through the night, as an infant, by stroking her hair while describing a peaceful place that she could go to in her dreams. It started with, "close your eyes. You're in a forest, trees everywhere, with a little pond close by. You hear the waterfall gently splashing against the pool of water..." She may not have understood at least half the words I was using, but she did understand the concept, and she found it relaxing.

Once she developed her obvious love/obsession with unicorns, I added to the description. It gradually became known as "The land of the unicorns." I haven't had to do much to alleviate fears since then, even though grandpa insists on watching all kinds of horror films, with her in the room. She's had a total of maybe 3 nightmares in her 6 years, not too bad. Any time she has had a nightmare, I simply remind her of the place we created, the land of the unicorns. She was usually still asleep when I noticed that her dreams weren't very happy, but she was awake enough that the description was heard, and it was obvious that she settled immediately back into her "safe warm place".

If you have older children, you can also try black tourmaline under their pillow. It's a type of crystal/rock that is supposed to help with bad dreams, ward off negativity and harmful spirits, etc. My mother actually uses this tactic with my 6 year old step sister. It's worked for her. But, again, I don't recommend it for younger children, as they may hurt themselves or place the crystal in their mouths.