Nightmares - Fort Worth, TX

I was a nanny for a little boy, he was 4, who went through this. He always thought he heard something at the window or in his closet. His mom and I brainstormed and tried a few things before we found what was successful. The first thing we tried was showing him out the window, under the bed, in the closet every night before bed... didn't work. The next thing we tried was to give in to his need everytime he woke up and "check" where he heard the noise... didn't work. What finally worked was "Super Safety Spray"... we made a spray bottle of water (but he thought it contained more than water) that he could spray around his bed, and then he would spray at the sound everytime he heard it. It worked!! He felt safe, like he could protect himself. Now, after a few weeks of that he would just keep the bottle next to his bed and never spray it anymore and then within a few months he didn't care if he had it or not cause he was "brave without it!" We also started really monitoring what he watched on TV and no TV after dinner so that his mind wasn't swirling with images from TV right before bed.

Hope that helps!

K.
Helping MOMS work from home!
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We bought my son a flashlight just a led cheap one he kept it in his bed and before bed we would turn it on and search under the bed and in corners and in the closet for monsters. When we showed him that there weren't any and that if he heard something and he got scared he would turn on his flashlight and nothing could get him. I worked for us.

We play worship music in our son's room every night. kari jobe....works well! very calming.

I feel your pain but son has been through this as well but it's not everynight and it's from some of the cartoons he watches.

M., this sounds exactly like what I went through with my son when he turned 3. He was the perfect little sleeper until 3. I will make it short, give him a night light in his room that will allow him to see all of his room. My son has a light right outside his bedroom door, so we leave it on at night with his door open. He would talk about his windows also, and I think it's the wind blowing his screens. He's now 4 1/2 and he's much better, but we still have all the lights on. Anyway, he sleeps much better with the light. Both his sisters, ages, 4 1/2 and just turned 3, do the same thing. They love their nightlights, and if it makes them sleep, then I get to sleep. Whatever works!!! Rested Mommy, Happy Mommy!!