Dreaming and night waking

At 2 -3 years of age dreaming becomes vivid. By three years of age your child may not require a nap, but until that time an average of an hours nap in the day is usually helpful to avoid sleep deficit.
This is the stage when children’s sleep may be disturbed by Nocturnal confusion Night terrors or Nightmares and there is a difference.

Nocturnal Confusion occurs mainly in very young children who are distressed and agitated but do not respond to parents attempts to reassure them.

Night terrors occur early in the night, usually in the first third of sleep (deep Non REM sleep) the child is distressed and agitated, and although your child’s eyes may be open the child is not completely awake and no reassurance from you will comfort your child. Sleep returns fairly quickly and there is no memory of events in the morning.

Nightmares usually occur in the second part of the night (middle to late REM sleep)
Your child has had a frightening dream and will accept comforting and reassurance. It can take longer to re settle the child to sleep afterwards and it is important that the parents reassure and encourage the child to remain in his/her own bed and return to sleep. While the child was asleep, during this episode they are fully awake and remember this afterwards. Nightmares can be precipitated by illness or stress, in which case there may also be night terrors.

Nightmares usually peak at about 3 -6years of age. They are universal and a normal part of cognitive development.

There are things you can do to reduce the frequency of nightmares and night terrors for your child and Dream-Angus can help you with this.

If these are a problem for your child let us give you some simple strategies to try first.

In most cases simple measures are very effective; however, if the night terrors or nightmares remain persistent and severe and fail to respond to behavioural strategies, then a psychological assessment may help.


Contact Dream-Angus.com

Dreaming and night waking

At 2-3 years of age dreaming becomes vivid. By three years of age your child may not require a nap, but until that time an average of an hours nap in the day is usually helpful to avoid sleep deficit.
This is the stage when children’s sleep may be disturbed by Nocturnal confusion Night terrors or Nightmares and there is a difference.

Nocturnal Confusion occurs mainly in very young children who are distressed and agitated but do not respond to parents attempts to reassure them.

Night terrors occur early in the night, usually in the first third of sleep (deep Non REM sleep) the child is distressed and agitated, and although your child’s eyes may be open the child is not completely awake and no reassurance from you will comfort your child. Sleep returns fairly quickly and there is no memory of events in the morning.

Nightmares usually occur in the second part of the night (middle to late REM sleep)
Your child has had a frightening dream and will accept comforting and reassurance. It can take longer to re settle the child to sleep afterwards and it is important that the parents reassure and encourage the child to remain in his/her own bed and return to sleep. While the child was asleep, during this episode they are fully awake and remember this afterwards. Nightmares can be precipitated by illness or stress, in which case there may also be night terrors.

Nightmares usually peak at about 3 -6years of age. They are universal and a normal part of cognitive development.

There are things you can do to reduce the frequency of nightmares and night terrors for your child and Dream-Angus can help you with this.

If these are a problem for your child let us give you some simple strategies to try first.

Contact ;- info@Dream-Angus.com

Gastric Reflux: The Facts

Gastric Reflux is a common problem particularly in pre term babies. It can be defined as a transient, inappropriate relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter allowing stomach contents to flow back into the oesophagus. This can result in regurgitation or vomiting, which may upset the child by causing pain and discomfort or, in milder cases there may be no apparent distress related to these events.'

When there is no distress there is no need for treatment. More moderate to severe reflux should be treated because there is a link to reflux and Asthma in early childhood. 

 In practice, sick children's hospitals, and some special baby care units, use infant Gaviscon as an antacid. This is made from seaweed and forms a "jelly like " layer at the top of the stomach. The result is that this less acid "jelly" is what floats back to the oesophagus and thus pain is reduced.

The only side effect of this, and only in some infants, is constipation. Medical trials using Gaviscon Infant powder have shown that this was effective in reducing vomiting and regurgitation in episodes at 14 days, but did not reduce the level of vomiting. Another double blind trial, found no difference when Gaviscon was used.'

Some Consultant Paediatricians will prescribe medications which will reduce the amount of acid that is released into the stomach. These are only used in the short term and, once the child is established on a semi solid diet these are generally discontinued. Family Doctors are always reluctant to prescribe such medication without the overview of a Consultant.

Although symptoms of reflux can be demonstrated there is only one way to accurately diagnose reflux and that involves a short hospital stay and the passing of an acid monitor to check the level of acid in the oesophagus. This is not always reliable and most Paediatric Consultants will accept the parents description and treat this uncomfortable condition.

Using formulas which thicken on contact with stomach acids , such as Efamil AR and SMA Staydown ( both available on NHS prescription) are only moderately effective in treating reflux in otherwise healthy children.

This is because this issue is often one of mechanics, and nothing is going to make the sphincter muscle mature and perform it's function as it should, other than maturity. Using an antacid or something which will reduce the acid production, is really the only way to reduce discomfort and distress.

The first line of treatment is usually Gaviscon infant powder, and where this is successful, there is no need for further intervention. If this proves ineffective then it is worth exploring other options.

Another study, looking at positioning the infant with the head of the crib raised, found that this is not always justifiable, however, placing infants on their left side, can reduce reflux. Lying on one side is not a stable position for infants and using pillows to maintain this position is not recommended.

It is possible to use a breathable fabric rolled against the child's back and supporting the child's legs but, this needs to be done with some care to avoid overheating.

Reflux, like colic, is self limiting. It can be difficult for parents to watch an infant in distress and pain without seeking assistance to make the child more comfortable.Children affected by any degree of reflux often take longer to settle after a feed and can be fussy, because feeding does not comfort them as it would an unaffected child.

Starting your child on Solids.

There are a rich variety of sources of information on feeding children. Every source has a different idea about what method and substance. Here are a few points to consider when you want to start your baby on solids.

1) Children can remain on breast or formula until they are 2 years old.
2) The World Health Organisation recommends starting solids at about 6 months.
3) Big Babies do not need to start earlier on solid diet.


Your child is ready for solids when;-
1) He or she can sit up unsupported.
2) He/She can reach out and grab things accurately.
3) He/She takes things into his /her mouth and chews them rather than automatically pushing them out.

Babies are more likely to develop allergies and intolerances when there is a history of hay fever, eczema or asthma in the family.
In the drive for a healthy diet organic foods are an attractive option for feeding children, however beware;-

Organic foods still need to be processed to make them suitable for baby. In the course of this processing many important nutrients are lost. As these are to be sold as “organic” the missing nutrients destroyed in the processing cannot be re introduced because the foodstuff would no longer be eligible for labelling as “organic”.

If you want to feed your child “organic” foods then prepare them yourself. Cook them without adding salt or sugar and push them through a sieve, mash with a fork or offer as “finger foods”. Your child will benefit from the experience and you will not be denying your baby important vitamins and minerals which they need for healthy growth.

Organic foods and babies.

Do you know how much sugar has been added to your child’s convenience food?

Check the food labels carefully.

5grams = an ordinary heaped teaspoon of sugar.

A “food” containing 35 gms sugar contains 7 heaped teaspoons of sugar.
Not something you should be feeding your child!

Improve Teenagers Sleep in 7 steps

The recommendation of Sleep Specialists, is that teenagers should have at least 9/10hours sleep per night. In fact, it is generally recognised that most teenagers fall short if this and only have about 7.5 hours per night.

Although when they were 8 to 10 years old, these same teenagers will have been sleepy and in bed by 8pm, now, in the teen years, they are not sleepy until about 10-11pm. This shift in their circadian rhythm is in part due to the hormones released during adolescence. Not being able to get to sleep before 10/11pm means that they have a shorter sleep cycle. Most teenagers must be awake and alert by about 8am, particularly during the school term. Consequently teenagers, if given the opportunity will lie in until lunchtime as they try to catch up on their sleep.

Regularly not getting enough sleep (chronic sleep deprivation) can affect a teenager's academic and sporting performance and may increase their risk of emotional problems such as depression. Even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night makes a difference. One recent US study found that lack of sleep was a common factor in teenagers who receive poor to average school marks.

A hectic after school schedule,with social commitments, homework and part time employment can cut into sleep time. In western cultures these activities are valued above sleep and this can become a vicious circle. Light cues from television, computers, and mobile phones can prevent the release of melatonin which would help make the teenager sleepy.

The typical teenage brain wants to go to bed late and sleep late the following morning, which is usually hard to manage. You may be able to adjust your body clock but it takes time.

Seven things you can do;-

1) Choose a relaxing bedtime routine; for example, have a bath and a hot milky drink before bed.

2) Avoid loud music, homework, computer games or any other activity that gets your mind racing for about an hour before bedtime.

3) Keep your room dark at night. The brain’s sleep–wake cycle is largely set by light received through the eyes. Try to avoid watching television right before bed. In the morning, expose your eyes to lots of light to help wake up your brain.

4) Do the same bedtime routine every night for at least four weeks to make your brain associate this routine with going to sleep.

5) Start your bedtime routine a little earlier than usual (for example, 10 minutes) after four weeks. Do this for one week.

6) Add an extra 10 minutes every week until you have reached your desired bedtime.

7) Avoid staying up late on the weekends. Late nights will undo your hard work.


Remember that even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis makes a big difference. However, it may take about six weeks of getting extra sleep before you feel the benefits. If you would like some help in adjusting your sleep pattern, contact Dream-Angus

Children and sleep disturbances.

Children's sleep is slowly becoming a more recognised issue both in the media and in the field of research. Channel 4 (UK television) recently presented a programme where two different Sleep specialists "competed" to see whose methods were more successful. The families who took part had different sleep issues and both had difficulties in being consistent. This is often the case. When you have a big sleep deficit it is very difficult to manage situations, to make clear decisions, and to follow through.

Both families did experience resolution of their sleep disturbances and now the children are reported to be sleeping well. The parents will have their own sleep deficit to address and gradually they too will experience the full benefits of an improved sleep.

There are as many ways to address the various sleep disturbances of childhood, as there are families who need this help. The real expertise is in choosing the most appropriate intervention for a particular family and their child. Then the majority of the work, which the parents have to do, is about being consistent. When a plan works, it works because the parents have accepted the method and have been consistent in following it. How quickly resolution occurs is entirely down to the appropriate method and the parents ability to be consistent.

Children learn by demonstration and frequent repetition. The boundaries have to be set and maintained. This helps the child to become secure in understanding what is expected of them, and to settle to a desired pattern of behaviour. Our children want to please us. When we have a sleep deficit, and when we fail to be consistent, they become confused and this leads to insecurity.

In the interests of the programme, making interesting television, there was more emphasis on the competition between the two experts than on the resolution of the sleep issues. There is no reason why, in this day and age, any parent should have to struggle to get their child or children to settle well at bed time and sleep through the night. There are services out there to help.

Children with special needs have particular issues, but, even with the complications of their specific requirements, they can be taught to sleep and to sleep properly. The main difference is that children who have other health issues are likely to require a more prolonged programme.

If you would like help to resolve your child, or children's sleep issues,
Contact Dream-Angus. A fifteen minute telephone conversation is free.

Prevent simple infections

Even young children can learn to protect themselves from aquired infections. Most will enjoy this method of information delivery.