Answered by Angela Rosas M.D.
"The most enjoyable thing for me in practicing general pediatrics is to use my professional training and my experiences as a mother to help families to improve the health of their children," says Angela Rosas. "It is a wondrous feeling to watch children heal and develop into healthy young adults, knowing that you played a small role in the process."
Angela Rosas M.D., graduated from Stanford University with a degree in human biology. She attended medical school and completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego. She has been a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1991. Dr. Rosas has practiced general pediatrics for eight years in community clinics, private practice, and university hospitals. She is currently Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California at Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. Her clinical and research interests are breastfeeding, asthma, adolescent care, children with disabilities, child abuse and neglect, and accident prevention. Dr. Rosas has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to various pediatric textbooks. She frequently lectures on pediatrics issues at medical conferences and for community agencies. Dr. Rosas is married to another pediatrician and has three young daughters.
Question
When my 2 1/2-year-old has a bad dream, should I wake her up?
Answer
There are two types of "bad dreams" in young children, nightmares and night terrors, each with its own cause and treatment. Nightmares are scary dreams that awaken a child. A 2-year-old will usually wake up and cry for the parent or go to their room. She will have some recollection of the dream. Talk to her about the dream and reassure her that she is okay and that it really was just a dream. Yes, this means checking under the bed and the closet at the child's request. Your weekend trip may have triggered nightmares about separation anxiety, or your child may have been watching frightening movies, TV, etc.
During night terrors, your child may appear frightened and cry out, but she will remain asleep. She may open her eyes, but will not recognize the presence of anyone else in the room. Although these episodes can be quite frightening to parents, they are harmless to the child. The episode will go away in 10 to 30 minutes without intervention, when your child falls into a deeper sleep. You cannot wake her during a night terror, but you can watch her to be sure she does not harm herself if she gets out of bed. She will have no memory of the night terror the next day. Night terrors can be triggered by overtiredness, so it's possible that your child's regular sleep pattern may have been disrupted while you were gone. Making sure she gets enough sleep may prevent or reduce the frequency of night terrors.
