4 year old hates sleep

[mommatialuv]

Hi,
I am 45 and have custody of my 4 year old great nephew, he has been with my husband and me since Thanksgiving of 06. He knows who his Mom is, but only sees her 4-6 times a year. She does not call in between.  He has started telling stories about, when he was a little kid(when he lived with his mom, he refers to as Casey, but calls  her mom when he sees her). I have a couple questions, is it possible for him to remember much from age 22 months and younger? I can tell most of the stories are about recent things he is just changing a few details and adding her in, for example, The other day he and I took our dog for a walk. Today he talked about when he was a little kid and he went with Casey for a walk with their dog ( different dog, different place). I know They never had a dog. Some if his stories are almost scarey, he talks about a Bad Man that was nice to him watching him when Casey was not home. I know that when she had him she lived a bit of a crazy lifestyle, so I dont know what is real and what is not.
He told me one day he heard a voice in his head telling him not to listen.

He also seems to hate sleep, he does have bad dreams, probably wakes up and comes to our room about once every 2-3 weeks, but talks about them upon waking at least weekly.
He is a kindhearted boy, and his teachers in pre school say  he plays well with most of the other children, but he is very stubborn and not a lot of patience when he isn't getting his way or unable to master a new skill. We are working with him on expressing his frustration while still being respectful.
His biggest problem is just not listening. He finds himself in time-out several times a day for not listening.
My girls are 20 and 24 so it has been a while since I have had a little one, help me remember how much of this behavior is normal, and if there is anything specific I should look for as far as his emotional development.
Thank you for your time.


This discussion is related to Is my 4 year old depressed?.

[Encephalomalcia]

Telling stories is what children do at this age, and if you become extremely interested the stories will get more interesting.  It will be hard to figure out what is real and what is a story.  I would think that if it is something that he should not know about, then it could be real.  When he goes to sleep, is he very tired or not too tired and has to fall asleep on his own?  If he is not getting enough activity during the daytime, then the sleeptime will not be as deep.  Comfort him through his nightmares and with the security of your home, the nightmares should become less.  When children are insecure or worried or something bad has happened, they think about it at night.  With what he has been through in the past, it will take some time for him to sort it out.  The first years may be hard, but with consistent reassurance and stability, you should see a confident, happy  boy. Talk, laugh, and have fun.