Kat, we don't have this issue. I tend not to talk about this for fear of seeming crazy, but I have an ongoing problem of my dreams waking my children up when they are small. Basically when they start sleeping somewhat better than not at all and I actually get to put them to bed and then sometime later go to bed myself it becomes apparent that the second I hit dream state they wake up. They aren't waking up at a set time (because my bedtime is very variable). They don't wake up when I got to bed (sometimes I read, sometimes I don't). They don't wake up when DH goes to sleep. The second I hit dream state they wake up. Sometimes if I can fight off sleep for a few minutes they will resettle themselves and then wake up as soon as I again go to sleep. Sometimes they will resettle and sleep through my second attempt to go to sleep.
I have had this with all three daughters, though it seems to be worse with each child. It's currently driving me crazy with my youngest.
I used to have my mother's nightmares and wake up 30 seconds before she started screaming in her sleep right up until was 8-10 years old. It was horrible to wake from a nightmare knowing that in a few seconds time my mother was going to start screaming.
I often wonder whether if I was prone to nightmares my kids would be having lots of nightmares too.
Personally I think dream state is a great big unknown territory, particularly in children.
