DS is turning 3 and he's been having nightmares the past week. He's had them before where he cries out in his sleep and will even sit up crying but this past week has been 5 out of 7 days. It got so bad that one night he was on his hands and knees, rocking and shaking his head in bed to keep himself from falling asleep at 9:45pm!
Whenever asked what's wrong, he just replies that he's scared. That's it. I can't get him to elaborate. I know that the air vent in his room has monsters in them and a few times he's asked to completely shut the closet door. I try to reassure him that monsters don't like Nemo-light (his nightlite) or we do the magic wand thing or I tell him monsters are sleeping. Basically all the stuff they tell you to do in books.
The problem isn't so much him not going to bed because he's scared - it's more him waking up scared. We don't watch or do anything scary past 5pm (bedtime is 8:00pm), we do a walk, a bath and numerous books (it went from 3 books to 5 or 6 nightly). And since he's waking up scared, he now is afraid to nap. It's starting to creep into his bedtime where he's asking us to lay with him (no problem). He's starting to want the nightlight on when before he wanted it off (this does help as he didn't wake up crying then it was on - or I was too tired to hear him cry after sleepless nights). He also asked to sleep in our bed a couple of times which again isn't a problem - it's just unheard of for him. This is the kid who kicked us out of his room so he can sleep. The kid who insisted on a big boy bed before mama was ready to let go. He's a pretty independent kid so to see him scared of anything kills me.
The only new big thing going on his life is he started preschool. He likes it, doesn't want to go home, loves his teacher and has many "new friends" (his words). His imaginative play recently took off too. He's making a whole new world for himself which is pretty cool. I know that all factors into the nightmares and I can weather it. I just want to find a way to help him cope so he won't be so scared at night.
Another thing, he doesn't ever leave his bed once he's in. I don't know why, he just never did. I keep telling him to come to mama's bed when he's scared but he just lays in bed crying. He doesn't even cry for me or calls me. The only reason I know he's crying is because I've got the monitor on loud and I can hit the video button to check on him. I don't know what I'm going to do when DD out grows the co-sleeper and goes into her own room.
Anyone suggestons, advice, been-there-done-that stories?? TIA!
Whenever asked what's wrong, he just replies that he's scared. That's it. I can't get him to elaborate. I know that the air vent in his room has monsters in them and a few times he's asked to completely shut the closet door. I try to reassure him that monsters don't like Nemo-light (his nightlite) or we do the magic wand thing or I tell him monsters are sleeping. Basically all the stuff they tell you to do in books.
The problem isn't so much him not going to bed because he's scared - it's more him waking up scared. We don't watch or do anything scary past 5pm (bedtime is 8:00pm), we do a walk, a bath and numerous books (it went from 3 books to 5 or 6 nightly). And since he's waking up scared, he now is afraid to nap. It's starting to creep into his bedtime where he's asking us to lay with him (no problem). He's starting to want the nightlight on when before he wanted it off (this does help as he didn't wake up crying then it was on - or I was too tired to hear him cry after sleepless nights). He also asked to sleep in our bed a couple of times which again isn't a problem - it's just unheard of for him. This is the kid who kicked us out of his room so he can sleep. The kid who insisted on a big boy bed before mama was ready to let go. He's a pretty independent kid so to see him scared of anything kills me.
The only new big thing going on his life is he started preschool. He likes it, doesn't want to go home, loves his teacher and has many "new friends" (his words). His imaginative play recently took off too. He's making a whole new world for himself which is pretty cool. I know that all factors into the nightmares and I can weather it. I just want to find a way to help him cope so he won't be so scared at night.
Another thing, he doesn't ever leave his bed once he's in. I don't know why, he just never did. I keep telling him to come to mama's bed when he's scared but he just lays in bed crying. He doesn't even cry for me or calls me. The only reason I know he's crying is because I've got the monitor on loud and I can hit the video button to check on him. I don't know what I'm going to do when DD out grows the co-sleeper and goes into her own room.
Anyone suggestons, advice, been-there-done-that stories?? TIA!
