Why Your Toddler Wakes Up Scared at Night — Understanding Nightmares & What Helps

Why is your toddler waking up scared at 3 AM?

Nightmares can be confusing and exhausting for parents but they also offer a window into what your child’s nervous system is processing.

In this video, we will discover:
• How to know it’s really a nightmare
• Why nightmares usually happen after 2 AM
• What your child’s nervous system is trying to integrate
• The surprising triggers parents often miss
• How to support your child without undoing their independent sleep skills

Many parents assume nightmares come from scary TV or a stressful moment but often, the real trigger is separation-based stress. This can be any shift in something your child is attached to: a daycare teacher leaving, giving up the pacifier, potty training, moving to a toddler bed, a new sibling, or simply needing to cope with more than usual.

Children may hold themselves together during the day… and release the emotional load at night.

Your presence helps regulate them — but connection during sleep (co-sleeping, lying with them all night) does not resolve the root cause.

Instead, this video teaches a calmer, healthier approach:
Offer reassurance at night and fuel connection during the day.
If you want calmer nights without co-sleeping or backsliding, this video will guide you step by step.
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00:00 - Nightmares
02:00 - How and when
03:30 - Nightmares look like
05:00 - Coping
06:30 - Separation
08:30 - Highly capable children
11:00 - Familier becomes unfamilier
15:00 - Sleep is the ultimate disconnect
16:30 - Seeking help
18:40 - Underlying message
19:56 - Attachment parenting
22:55 - Parent in the lead
25:40 - Recap

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