D'S scared to go to bed having watched scary TV programme

[nixpix]

Abiut 2 months ago my DS watched part of an episode of Whitechapel that id left playing in my bedroom whilst ironing. I had gone downstairs to answer the phone and he crept in and watched it. I had assumed he was asleep. It was about a murderer who dressed up as the bogeyman. Ever since then he has been scared to go to sleep, wanting to sleep with us, waking in the night scared. I had hoped with reassurance from us he'd forget about it and move on but he can't. In fact I think it's getting worse. Does anyone have any experience of this and what can be done to help him stop thinking about it? I feel so bad that is really praying on his mind. He said this morning at breakfast that he thinks he needs to go see someone about it.

How old is he? Would getting 'fairy' dust to keep baddies out work?

Or explaining that it's just make believe and maybe watching some clips from you tube behind the scences where they make up a 'monster'. Obv for a more suitable programme.

Also how much is it being mentioned at home, if you feel guilty are you projecting onto him and making more of a thing of it than it really is?

Hi Winchester. He is 9. That's a good idea about a behind the scenes YouTube clip. I've explained lots that it isn't real, that programmes like that are deliberately scarey to make people feel gripped or spooked, rather like how fair rides are scarey. We don't mention it at all. At first I thought it was a bit of a ruse on his part to get extra bedtime cuddles and come into our bed, which we give him but now I think it is really playing on his mind. I'm thinking of putting music in his room at bedtime to take his mind off it.

Don't know if it works for kids but I watch a cartoon after a scary film / before bed so its that I will dream about.
Or just lay thinking about nice things (flying - like a bird for me) before going to sleep.

I just let DS come to my bed when he asks because he thinks he might have nightmares. But he usually forgets about it the next day.

I think a behind the scenes, or even blooper clip is a good idea. :)

You can never trust a dalek! He's old enough to know it's not real, but you can still be scared by things that aren't real. I think the YouTube clip's a good idea.