Should I wake up someone who seems to be having a nightmare? (2024)

FAQs

Should I wake up someone who seems to be having a nightmare? ›

“You shouldn't wake them up because they'll be disoriented,” Ellis says. “They won't have any recollection of the episode if you don't wake them up.” Nightmares can be echoes of the stressful experiences people are having in their waking hours.

Experts recommend against waking someone up who is experiencing a night terror. Common causes of night terrors include genetics, certain medications, and fever.

Speak calmly but avoid waking them.

Trying to wake them up can be dangerous but also futile. Many people in night terrors never wake up during the episode. What you can do is speak to them in a calm and soothing voice to offer comfort. If they get up but are not too agitated, gently guide them back to bed.

Offering something comforting might help change the mood. To help them get back to sleep, offer a favorite stuffed animal to hold, a blanket, pillow, nightlight, or dreamcatcher, or play soft music. You also might talk about some pleasant dreams your child would like to have.

While waking someone up from REM sleep can be easy, waking up a person from deep, slow wave sleep can be difficult. Individuals who awake from this type of sleep can be very disoriented and groggy, so Nadorff recommends letting sleep talkers and sleep walkers remain asleep when possible.

However, it's important not to wake them up and allow them to work through the episode. They're more likely to forget the dream if they can sleep through it. Waking them up in the middle of a nightmare can be jarring, making it difficult for them to forget the imagery or get back to sleep.

Night terrors and nightmares are different and happen at different stages of sleep. During a night terror you may talk and move about but are asleep. It's rare to remember having a night terror. Nightmares are bad dreams you wake up from and can remember.

They involved a replay of traumatic and vivid images, such as being knocked over by blown up body parts of a close friend, seeing the face of a person they killed in battle, or seeing the same image over and over again, such as what occurred with many people who witnessed the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

If you want to wake someone from a nightmare, do so gently, with a soft touch and soothing words. An alarm is a harsh way to start the day. Whether it's for you or someone else, why not enjoy a gentler wake-up experience? A study of alarm tones found that people overwhelmingly prefer waking up to music.

How do you reassure someone who had a nightmare? ›

Start with a brief dose of empathy. Use some soothing words, “I'm sorry you got scared,” or a hug, and then return your child to his/her bed. Next, re-focus your child away from the memory of the nightmare, and on to something else.

Don't try to wake your child. This usually doesn't work, and kids who do wake are likely to be confused and upset. They also might take longer to settle down and go back to sleep.

Should you wake them? Nope, experts say. As terrible as whatever visions that are running through their head might be, waking someone from a nightmare is more likely to ensure that they'll remember the bad dream.

No. You may think you're rescuing your bedmate from misery, but rousing someone simply means he'll need several frustrating minutes (or longer) to calm down and get back to sleep. The truth is, nightmares are normal.

It's entirely safe to wake someone up from sleep paralysis. In fact, they will probably be hugely grateful. If you suspect your bed partner is experiencing sleep paralysis, you could try talking to them, tapping their shoulder, or gently shaking them. When you're in the throes of sleep paralysis, it can be terrifying.

There seems to be a universal myth that you should not wake someone up if they are sleepwalking because they may hurt you or themselves. The truth is you should wake them up if they are in danger or putting someone else in danger. But, most times, the best option is to lead them back to bed.

It's entirely safe to wake someone up from sleep paralysis. In fact, they will probably be hugely grateful. If you suspect your bed partner is experiencing sleep paralysis, you could try talking to them, tapping their shoulder, or gently shaking them. When you're in the throes of sleep paralysis, it can be terrifying.

You should not wake your baby from a night terror. Sometimes your baby will settle themselves without even waking up. Waking them may lead to confusion and terror that makes it harder for them to settle back down.

If awakened, they likely will be disoriented. In contrast, when a person wakes up from a nightmare, they tend to be alert and aware of what was happening in their dream. The following day, a person with nightmares usually has a clear memory of the dream.