A nightmare is a bad dream that usually involves some imagined danger or threat to the child. Nightmares involve themes that are disturbing and may feature figures such as monsters, ghosts, animals or bad people. Loss of control and fear of injury are common themes in nightmares.
Children do not usually cry out or move around while they are having a nightmare. When the child wakes up, he will calm down and may remember what the dream was about.
Nightmares are different from night terrors. Children with night terrors experience episodes of extreme panic. They are confused and will often cry out and move around. During night terror, waking the child is difficult, and the child usually won’t remember anything. 
