Why does my toddler have nightmares?

Answer 1

Children have bad dreams for the same reasons that adults have bad dreams: they express the dreamer's fears, anxieties and stress. The monsters, witches or evil creatures in bad dreams very often symbolize the child's own "naughty" urges and desires, such as wanting to smack a sibling or being angry at Mommy. By venting these feelings in the security of sleep, the child is better able to control impulses in real life.

Answer 2

Most small children have nightmares from time to time. They may have seen something scary on television that provides a visual image of the child's budding concept of "bad." Often the "monster under the bed" or "the witch at the window" is a fantasy representing the child's own naughty self that threatens to break out of control. Even something as basic as toilet training can trigger fears of doing something terribly wrong and those fears can find expression in nightmares.