My almost 5 year old DS has begun to be very fearful when going to sleep, he seems to have sad/scary dreams (his description) every night within a few minutes of closing his eyes or before he has even closed his eyes (!) so I am reluctant to describe them as nightmares. He isn't asleep when he has them just anxious.
During the day he scares himself silly with his imagination - for example, we passed some security guards outside a public building, he asked why they were there and then invented a whole story about robbers and bad people, by the end of him telling me about it I could see he had scared himself by his own story (When he started he wasn't scared, just enjoying spinning a yarn). Then tonight he is petrified that there might be robbers in the house.
He has never been a good sleeper, always hated going to bed. At the moment I am 36 weeks pregnant with Baby Number 3 and the house is definitely a bit unsettled, so that might be making him anxious - he hates change, quite a rigid child.
My question is what to do? I am reluctant to add to our routine/give him yet another comforter etc, and I've spoken with him during the day already many times without any impact. Any advice?