6 Year Old Had Nightmare So Scary He Won't Go To Bed in Room After 2 Weeks

[jerseygrl65]

My 6 year old grandson had a bad dream about "Sponge Bob" that left him terrorized.  He won't stay in his room nor can he fall asleep by himself.My daughter stays with him and he can tell she is getting up so he carries on screaming, crying, and have a tantrum.  This was a child who never gave us any problem in going to sleep.  Helped to decorate and fix up his room and loved his bedroom.  Some background:  Has suffered from night terrors since he was about 2, has been seen at local childrens hospital and has no sleep apnea, lost his "Pop Pop" when he was only 4 and saw Pop Pop get sick and on floor.  We talk about Pop Pop and have a jar on his window sill to leave note to Pop Pop. Also a jar to leave his worries.  This is not working now...He is a very sensitive child, worries and frets alot.  Wants to do good.  His parents were never married but he sees his Daddy every week and his other grandmom every weekend.  Stays overnight at his grandmom's house with cousins and dosen't seem to have a problem.. How do you desensitize this situation. Last night was the worst yet, took two hours of crying, pleading etc and then only fell asleep because of complete exhaustion.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You'll have to 'bite the bullet' for a while, but this will quiet down eventually. The important thing is to stck with his usual routine and continue to insist that he go to sleep and remain in his own bed. If you alter the routine, it will be difficult to reinstate the routine at a later time. While it's not the best option to remain with him until he falls asleep (because then he's relying on that as a usual part of the routine), if his mother is going to do it she should simply sit in a chair near to, but not right next to, his bed.