2y 9 m waking with nightmares

[Luciagerard]

Hello
My son is 2 years 9 months.
He started refusing naps 4 months ago, and at the moment only naps at daycare for 1 hour . At home in weekends he refuses to nap so I give him quiet time, and put him to bed esrlier..
A few weeks ago he woke up terrified screaming there was a spider in his bed and was going to bite him, I said it was only aNightmare, mummy is here, etc..and it took him 2 hours to finally go back to sleep as he refused to lie down etc...
Last week he woke up again, but this time he said " a nightmate is comimg" its going up the wall, in my bed, etc...I tried to calm him but he was terrified even with the light on, he would still see " nightmares" going up into his bed,,again 2 hours awake.
The next day the same happened..
I dontknow what to do. We dont know where he got the idea of spiders aswe have never talked about spiders, nor even at daycare as I asked his teacher..
Now when he goes into his bed, he keeps  asking if the "nightmares"" are coming, and looks around in his bed and pillow as if he was looking for something. I said there was no "nightmares" asI had toldthem to go all away, and that mummy wont let them come back and his teddy either...
What do you do when this happens? How do you explain its only a bad dream orwhat should I do or say???
Thanks

[Jodes112]

Could you introduce a dream catcher, and discuss it beforehand 'this will help take away the bad dreams' a talk before bed time aswell about how if he thinks about happy thoughts before bed ie holidays, times where he has felt happy, will help him have good dreams.

Also when dd is scared she has a big cuddly teddy (its a duck) i tell her if she feels scared to give it a big cuddle and she will feel safe. Lots of time i go in when i go to bed and she is fully wrapped around the duck.

It sounds quite extreme for your lo! Keep tv calm & easy watch as apposed to anything that might spook him. Im sure u already do this.

Does he have a night light in the room? It might help some.

[Luciagerard]

Yes, he has a night light and he usually wants the light on when goes to bed, until he is asleep, then I turn it off and just leave the night light.
He also goes to sleep with his lovey teddy and now he also wants to take more of his stuffed animal: a cow, cat,dog,koala,another teddy and a crocodrile 
Tonight he slept ok, and this morning he asked me if the "nightmares" had gone the street...
Anyway I will follow your advice and see..
Thank you

[Jodes112]

You could tell a little story about how (you put something in his room) and it makes all the nightmares leave the house.
Good luck.

[Haribo2012]

We had lots of this at that age, spiders, worms in the bed, scared of shadows and curtains looking funny like they had a face in them. DS1 bed was full of stuffed toys. The toys used to tell him a little story before bed and then say they were there to keep him safe and have happy dreams. We put a stuffed toy on top of curtain pole and it was called smiley bunny to keep the face off the curtains, 2 night lights, door open.

He used to fly into our room manic that things were after him, mostly it was just developmental and did pass. It took a lot of us going in reassuring him and always a happy story before bed nothing long winded or involved.

Hugs it's tough but will get better x

[Luciagerard]

Oh thank you..
 Hope it will pass..
Lucia