Sleeping problems with dd2 (7), any help greatly appreciated.

[Lovemyshoes]

DD2 (7) has been waking lately with nightmares, this has been happening on and off for a while, but, recently they have been becoming more frequent.

She also seems to be constantly worried about fires, bad people coming to get her, me and her daddy dying etc and it is heartbreaking to see her when she is sobbing and upset. Also, her school did an assembly on swine flu and she came home shaking, she is petrified if she so much sneezes.

Before she goes to bed either myself or her daddy have to show her that all the downstairs windows and doors are locked, and then she starts worrying how she would get out if there was a fire.

I have never experienced this with dd1 before so I'm really at a loss what to say/do.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone have any advice?

I think I was a bit like this at her age. I remember it all being so real and scary. Looking back I think it's about controlling life, which at 7 you can't iyswim. I think you have to take her fears seriously, but also not over indulge. You need to try and help her find a way through it, ie take a cognitive approach, so she works a way through her fears to a more rational way of coping. If it was my child, I'd probably do what my parents never did with me, and spend some time talking it through. Why not make it pleasurable, so get some snack treats, and curl up together to write a list of her fears. Then go through each and talk to her honestly about how likely these things are. By doing that, you're helping her to translating them from abstract fears to a more concrete rational thought. Maybe also find a method of simple scoring to underscore this. Talk to her about thinking of a positive everytime she thinks of a negative. It's very of important for her to embrace the spiral and get herself out of it with your help. Otherwise she could get stuck. Hope that helps a bit - is probably not very proven, but I think it would have helped me at that age. I did move on to other neuroses though

Thank you for answering.

I will try the writing down her fears approach tonight, I am going to let her sleep with me as a treat.