Anyone elses DC terrified of nightime, dark, being upstairs on their own etc...

[bottletopbill]

My ds is 4.yrs and has been like this for a while.

I have to stay with him until he drops off at night, most nights he wakes and ends up in our bed.

Weve tried to overcome all the above but he is genuinely scared and it doesnt appear right to be hard or harsh with him when he's so scared.

Hoping he will grow out of it. Just wanted to here from others

oh bottletop. i have just spent 2.5 hours putting ds to bed. am grr because usually it is all done by 8pm, but he is not so tired while off pre-school.

i had a go at persuading him to put himself to bed once i could see we would be there for a while. no joy, even a bit of shut door and screaming hasn't done it.

well they won't be doing it when they're 14.

I was like this. All lights had to be left on, parents had to sit with me until I fell asleep, then I'd wake up screaming, scared of seeing a ghost, absolutely terrified. My poor parents were always exhausted from lack of sleep.

They eventually even moved into a bungalow because I wouldn't go upstairs.

They tried everything with me, but nothing worked, I was always too frightened to shut my eyes and would stay awake for hours.

I grew out of it when I was about....9.

Oh christ Im in for a long one then!!!
Fishie - how old is your DS - it seems to be boys by the sound of it.

Last night he came into us, I had to wake hub and get him to go into spare room - I needed sleep as I was working today. What can you do?????

DS has gone without pull ups tonight and Ive told him as he wanted to do this he must stay in his own bed...if he wakes I will stay with him in his bed but he must stay put due to mattress protector on his bed

he is 4.3 bot. has never needed much sleep but does stay asleep without disturbing me. except for arriving in our bed half way through night but without fuss.

he isn't really frightened of anything, just cannot bear to be left and becomes upset beyond what is worth it.

i think once he starts school proper in january he'll be totally exhausted and this will be the least worry. when does your ds start school?

our ds is 4.5 years and also start school full time in Jan - IVe said exactly the same that he should be too tired to wake in night...she says fingers crossed!!!

Like the other poster - surely cant last forever...I only have the one so not too bad just disturbing us!