5 year old DS too scared to sleep alone

[CheerfulSoul]

My 5 year old DS has seen something scary on the television and now refuses to sleep alone in case the 'space things' get him. He gets up in the middle of the night and refuses to go back to bed (he has ODD by the way) unless he can hold my hand for the rest of the night. This evening he refuses to even settle down on his own and my husband is sitting with him now. We're all exhausted from lack of sleep.

I've tried reasoning with him, talking about nice things like an up-coming holiday, insisting (no good with the ODD!) and even putting a Moshi Monsters sleeping bag over him to tell him it will 'protect' him. But all to no avail. He is genuinely scared and is the king of digging his heals in. Anyone any suggestions?

When mine have been through these stages,I have initially sat with them till they go to sleep.
Then I have set up an old baby monitor and assured them that if they are scared they will only need call me,and I will come.

I remember that terrifying feeling where you want your Mum yet you're too scared to get out of bed to get her,and I didn't want mine to feel like that because night can be a long and lonely time when you're little and scared.

I found mine became confident again very quickly doing this.

I am assuming he has a night light/a light is left on too.

I asked him if he wanted a light on and he said that the 'space things' come whether the light is on or off, so it wouldn't help. He's quite happy to get out of bed in the pitch black in the middle of the night and come across the landing into our room, so I'm guessing it's not a light/darkness issue. Like the idea of the baby monitor anyway though - could suggest that to him.

I sympathise with him being scared - I remember how it feels! - but sleep deprivation can only make things worse for him - I know how that feels too!!

The other thing that has helped mine is to have story cd's.

If he wakes in the night a story cd on quietly in the background may help focus his mind on something else and help him drift off to sleep again.

Thanks for the suggestions! Glad to hear that your kids got past this VerySmallSqueak.