Help my 9 year old is scared at night????

Hi I have a 9 year old boy. He is very scared at night. He says that he is scared of robbers. I have never had a robber here or he has never watched anything with robbers. I have found him hidden in my closet, I have found him hidden underneath my husbands night table in our room. I have talked to him about it & have told him that if a robber comes in our house our 3 (big) dogs will wake dad or me or scare the robber off first. I just do not know what to do. He is not scared when he goes to sleep over at friends or relatives houses. He also shares a room with his 7 year old brother. I just need some advice?????
Worried Mother

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

When a child displays nighttime anxiety such as you describe, which is often a type of Separation Anxiety Disorder, and the anxiety is mild to moderate in nature and the child responds to reassurance, it does not really require any specialized intervention. When the anxiety is pronounced, accompanied by the types of fear you describe, it's a good idea to seek evaluation. A significant factor to consider is when the reaction began. In other words, if the concern has been chronic and is actually the child's baseline behavior, the implication can be different than with a child whose baseline was normal behavior at bedtime but who is now displaying unusual anxiety. In the latter instance, the response is often generated by some unsettledness in the environment, either within the family, at school or among peers.

[mpfather]

A related discussion, 7 year old aftaid to be by herself was started.