sleep

[texxasgirl]

My ten year old son has a lot of anxiety when it comes to sleeping at night.  Not only about sleeping but about storms coming in thinking a tornado will kill us or about dying and so forth.  My husband and I have worked endlessly with him placing a lava lamp in his room, leaving his closet light on, played to radio, and allowed him to watch a dvd before hopefully falling asleep.  I have to say he has slept with his mom and dad since birth.  He was doing pretty well about sleeping alone until these past few nights.  I found out Halloween commercials and items in the stores have begun to come out and he states ghosts are now in our home and he is frightened.  I refuse to sleep with him as I have told him he is getting too big.  I want him to face his fears and I am there for him but I also want him to learn trust and calmess with relaxation.  This child has been unconditionally loved and we have doted upon him thus making me feel we may be part of the problem.  Any suggestions?  Tired and wore out.

[margypops]

You are handling the issue correctly, except you seem to be feeding into the fears , ignore it where you can, if he thinks it will get him his own way and he gets to sleep with you he will try anything, perhaps less words, reading would be calmer than DVD ,sometimes the TV and movies can exite the brain ,wheras Reading a book quietens them.Yes Halloween can be scary to a sensitive child but you can ignore it, he is 10 year old he knows its make-believe.The unconditional love is great its what all children should have.