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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
11 year old boy cannot sleep in his own bedroom
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
11 year old boy cannot sleep in his own bedroom
by wpouey91, Nov 06, 2003 12:00AM
My son is 11 years old. Since April 2003 he has not slept in his own bedroom. He sleeps on our bedroom floor. Some nights he cannot even do that, he has to be in bed with us (I usually go on the couch).
This may sound strange, but he has an incredible fear of Michael Jackson. We do not have his music in our home, do not have MTV or VH1. We do not know where this fear came from. He did mention that he saw a clip of the Michael Jackson interview that aired last spring. During the day things are pretty normal. Although, he is afraid of being outside by himself. Every night between 5-6 pm he starts acting different. He tells me (Mom) that he loves me 10-15 times a night. If I don't answer him back right away, he gets mad, hurt, insulted. If we get stern with him about sleeping in his own bedroom he has an axiety attack. We have tried many different things. Falling asleep with him in his bedroom. He wakes up as soon as we leave. He has tried sleeping in his younger sisters room on the floor. He never lasts more than an hour. He has not slept one by himself since last April. When he has friends overnight, he is fine. Staying at a friends house does not work. He calls to come home. He has had three visits with a counselor but it was too expensive for us. We are looking for a counselor that is covered by our insurance. I am afraid to send him to "just anyone". I don't want him to be moving from doctor to doctor. He is embarrassed about his behavior and says that he just "wants to be normal". He has many friends, is well liked.
This problem is affecting our whole family. My husband and I have no together time. We can't talk privately because our son is always with us. I cannot change my clothes in my own bedroom because my son is always in there.
Thank you for reading, please respond...Wanda Poudrette
This may sound strange, but he has an incredible fear of Michael Jackson. We do not have his music in our home, do not have MTV or VH1. We do not know where this fear came from. He did mention that he saw a clip of the Michael Jackson interview that aired last spring. During the day things are pretty normal. Although, he is afraid of being outside by himself. Every night between 5-6 pm he starts acting different. He tells me (Mom) that he loves me 10-15 times a night. If I don't answer him back right away, he gets mad, hurt, insulted. If we get stern with him about sleeping in his own bedroom he has an axiety attack. We have tried many different things. Falling asleep with him in his bedroom. He wakes up as soon as we leave. He has tried sleeping in his younger sisters room on the floor. He never lasts more than an hour. He has not slept one by himself since last April. When he has friends overnight, he is fine. Staying at a friends house does not work. He calls to come home. He has had three visits with a counselor but it was too expensive for us. We are looking for a counselor that is covered by our insurance. I am afraid to send him to "just anyone". I don't want him to be moving from doctor to doctor. He is embarrassed about his behavior and says that he just "wants to be normal". He has many friends, is well liked.
This problem is affecting our whole family. My husband and I have no together time. We can't talk privately because our son is always with us. I cannot change my clothes in my own bedroom because my son is always in there.
Thank you for reading, please respond...Wanda Poudrette
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Nov 06, 2003 12:00AM
, Nov 06, 2003 12:00AM
It will be important to continue your son's treatment. This sort of Anxiety Disorder (manifested chiefly, but not exclusively, as Separation Anxiety) will not resolve spontaneously and absolutely requires professional intervention. You are able to locate the onset of difficulty as April of this year. What occurred at that time? Is that when he viewed the television show? Did he have any physical illness at the time, particularly any illnees related to strep bacteria? Some sudden-onset anxiety conditions (usually obsessive-compulsive symptoms) are prompted by such illness, though the pattern you describe does not fit the classic profile.
Member Comments (2)
by drrick, Nov 10, 2003 12:00AM
Ms. Poudrette: I really feel that you need to talk about and find out just WHAT he saw and heard when he was watching Michael Jackson’s interview, and what time was it when he watched that program. This could be where the 5-6 pm time frame comes in. He appears to be really afraid to stay in his room at night, why? He also needs the security of you and the reinsurance that you are there. When friends come over for an over night, will he stay in his room all night with his friends, and is it usually one or more and it is the same person all the time. He also must understand privacy for you and your husband. Let him know that you must have privacy just like you give him privacy.
