Twilight Turtle Nightlight

Now for slightly older children this could work as a night light. Or you could try what we did and put it in the family room to light up the stars while you're watching a movie on family movie night. It also serves as a soft light when little ones get up in the middle of the night and wander through the room to the kitchen.

They can press down on Twilight Turtle as they pass through the living room and he'll light up for 45 minutes, giving them plenty of time to get a drink and head back to bed.Twilight Turtle comes with a constellation guide to help you learn about the stars you're seeing, an adoption certificate and even includes the necessary three "AAA" batteries. You've got your choice of three light color settings blue, green, and white.

If you have colored walls I recommend using the white setting, and if you're walls are white then the green and blue work pretty well.One of the quirks about Twilight Turtle is that the higher up he is, the better result you're going to have. And if he's near a wall you won't get to see a full constellation. If you're like most people you probably don't have a tall dresser sitting in the middle of the room to put this little guy on for your child. Putting him in the middle of the floor gives you blurred bits of light

Turn on the light. If a child wakes up with a nightmare and comes running to your room, be prepared to listen and find out why the child is afraid. ''Most kids want their parents around,'' says Dr. Dahl. ''Some don't need much more than your reassurance that everything is all right.'' But sometimes, you may have to go back to the child's room, turn on the light and show him there's nothing there. ''The child really needs to spend more time with you until he winds down,'' says Dr. Dahl.

Break the rules now and then. Your child may want to spend the rest of the night in your bed, even if it's not usually allowed. ''It's okay to occasionally break the rules if the child is badly frightened,'' says Dr. Dahl, ''though you may have to nip that behavior in the bud before it becomes a bad habit. Most kids will go back to their bed without protest the next night if you remind them of the rule.''

Give the child a nightmare protector. A flashlight or a ''protective'' stuffed animal can be very soothing to a child plagued by nightmares, says Sheila Ribordy, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in treating children and families and professor of psychology and director of clinical training in the Department of Psychology at De Paul University in Chicago.

''For a child, it's important to feel he has some control over his nightmares,'' she says. ''Children need to have a sense that they are powerful people so things aren't so scary for them.''

Have a bedside chat. ''If a child is having a lot of nightmares, you may need to help him relieve some of the stress that comes up during the day,'' says Dr. Howard. ''Children these days are under enormous stress. Often they're watching violent movies or TV programs. Sometimes they're subjected to a bully at school or at day care. Or they're being asked to toilet train or deal with a new sibling or give up their room.'' Since these stresses can lead to nightmares, it helps if you can talk to your child about what's happened during the day, according to Dr. Howard.

Follow a calming bedtime routine. '' Your child's experience at bedtime should be a calming one,'' says Dr. Howard. She suggests including a story, a song or cuddly animals in the routine.

Children who are having nightmares may develop a fear of falling asleep, and a bedtime routine that includes books or music can help. ''Playing music or story tapes gives them something to focus on other than the fear of nightmares that might be coming,'' says Dr. Ribordy. ''Often these activities are distracting enough to help them fall asleep easily.''