You wake in the middle of the night, heart pounding, the echo of a cry fading away. The cry starts up again and your groggy, sleep-deprived brain understands that a toddler's bad dreams are a nightmare for parents, too.

Just as adults need to dream in order to work through their fears and hopes, toddlers between the ages of one and three need to discharge anxieties and experience pleasures in the same way. The good news is the development of dreams is an outcome of an improved memory and a growing imagination. The bad news is it can make for some disrupted sleep for the whole family.

Janie's 2-year-old daughter, Beth, wove a tale about a fire raging through her bedroom. "My hand got burned last night when my room was on fire." Her hand was in perfect condition; her room, while messy, was without fire damage. A casual "It was just a dream" from Janie comforted Beth.

Megan, now 13, still remembers her epic nightmare adventure in the big dark house with monster spiders. Her need, as a 2-year-old, to talk extensively about this bad dream over the following week, and periodically over the next two years was a healthy response to a full-blown night fright. The talk defused the terror.

Why would such innocents dream such dark things? Consider the changes and stress in a toddler's life, most of it linked to growing independence. During these early years, he will move from crawling to walking, giving him ample opportunity to explore his world -- both the soft, loving part and the hard, scary part. Weaning -- from breast, bottle or pacifier -- childcare changes and even potty training can be disruptive to a child's happy nights. Add in separation anxiety and conflict or grieving in the family, and it's easy to see why nighttime so often becomes fright time for toddlers.

Different from nightmares, though no less scary, are night terrors, when a child screams in the

A child in the midst of night terrors is not awake, but is stuck temporarily between two stages of REM sleep. "It's physiological. There's nothing psychological to it," says Dr. Mindell. And while "no one knows the cause," there are certain triggers that parents can avoid. Number one is sleep deprivation. In addition, fevers and some medication such as chloral hydrate, which is sometimes given for sleep problems, can cause night terrors.

Chris, mother of Ryan, shares a bit of practical parenting: "My son has had night terrors since he was 6 months old. They were so bad that he would scream nonstop for half an hour. He was never awake, and I could never find anything wrong with him. I tried changing his diet, his bedtime, his formula, the type of sheets on his bed, his position when I would lay him down, but nothing worked. Finally, my pediatrician suggested that I stir him two hours after he goes to sleep. Not enough to wake him up all the way, just enough so that he moves a little. I started this when he was one year old. He is now 21 months old, and hasn't had a night terror since [I started waking him.]"

It is extremely important to stay by the child's side to keep him covered and safe while he is struggling and screaming. Don't fear psychological damage; your toddler is not dreaming, nor will he have any memory of the event. Don't wake your child or talk about the night terrors to him the next day.

As for "just" nightmares, there are ways to support a child during her waking hours and to create a pre-bedtime routine that may keep the bad dreams at bay.

During the day, celebrate your toddler's growing independence by cheering him on and applauding his forays into the grown-up world of walking, using the potty and sleeping in a "big kid" bed.

Avoid fear-inducing daytime encounters, whenever possible. If a child demonstrates fear of dogs, keep even friendly dogs away from her. Fire engines are hard to avoid, but parents can hold toddlers when sirens go by, or acknowledge that the sound is loud and can be scary. Removing a child from the tub prior to pulling the plug, or showing him that his foot alone is bigger than the drain, may be enough reassurance to end his fear that he will go down the drain with the water.

Establish regular bed and naptimes. It's the night after a toddler stays up late that the bad dreams occur, says Dr. Mindell. She also recommends a peaceful bedtime routine. Ban the crazy tickle monster act right before bed; instead snuggle with a toddler under the blankets and read "Goodnight Moon" to create a comfortable, supportive atmosphere.

But what's the right way to offer comfort when the inevitable occurs? "We took my son Ned into our bed when he would have a bad dream," recalls Heidi, mother of two. "But it wasn't too long before he woke up each night wanting to sleep with us. When I would ask him, 'Are you sick? Do you hurt?' he would say no, but he would grin and nod when I would ask if he had a bad dream."

Although some pediatricians recommend comforting the child in his own room, Lisa disagrees. "My son is now 3, and he has never had a nightmare. I should know -- he has slept in our family bed since he was born." She believes this additional nighttime contact with mom and dad gives her son an elevated sense of security.

Don't minimize or ridicule a child's fears. Rock her, sing a lullaby and reassure her that everything is all right. Turn on the lights in her room if she needs to see all is safe, but remember a child this young cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy, so trying to rationalize with a toddler is not likely to help.

If all else fails, scary monsters may be banished by a "lovey" -- a cuddly stuffed companion. Many a tired parent has found that Cookie Monster himself can save the night. (from articles Pamela White)