5 year old night fears

[ocelot41]

My 5 year old, who has been a decent sleeper for years, is suddenly fighting bedtime for hours and is up repeatedly every night saying he is scared of being on his own. We are all exhausted and a bit frazzled by now! We have the door open and landing light on, bedtime routine, cuddly toys, dosed for worms, checked for nits...all the usual suspects, still no solution. This has been going on for three weeks since he started school again. Have talked to him and nothing really worrying him that much. He just doesn't seem to be coping with sleeping alone at night any more (we are only next door!). Advice parents of older kids please?

Bumping!

Sorry no advice but bumping again as we have a 5 year old DS who has been doing the same for 2 months, we are end of our tethers.
Short term solution is that DP goes in his room & DS comes in ours, but this can't go on for much longer .

I feel your pain MissCalamity. I think with Ocelotcub it maybe partly a developmental stage and partly busy head from school but not enough physical exercise. He needs a LOT of running around to tire out! Does that ring any bells with you?

My dd is same but I just sleep in spare room with her now. She struggles to mentally relax at end of day.

I suppose DS isn't getting as much physical exercise now it's getting darker in the evenings. This has stemmed from when we were on holiday & he couldn't share a room with his younger sister so DP and I took in turns to sleep with each of them, then a few nights after we came home he'd seen something on you tube which has scared him, even though he can't explain to us what it was.
I've got into bed with him a few times & he's drifted back off but once I've gone back in my bed he's up again. I struggle in his bed with my back, so it's not something I want to do.

DP is talking about taking him to the doctors, goodness knows to do what

Fingers crossed tonight is better!!

Just bumped into a friend who says her two do exactly the same every time they start a new school year (aaargghh!) But three weeks in and still got the wakies? What's going on???