Understanding and Supporting Your Child With Nightmares and Night Terrors As a holistic sleep consultant , I often hear from parents worried about their child’s nightmares or night terrors . These sleep disturbances can feel upsetting for both child and parent — but understanding the difference between them and knowing how to respond can make nights much calmer for everyone. What Are Nightmares? Nightmares  are vivid, frightening dreams that usually occur during REM sleep , o