Shocked awake!

[mrsklopp]

My step son on Saturday night came into our room and woke my partner by stroking his arm. Because he was in such a deep sleep he literally screamed when he woke up which then prompted me to wake up screaming as well thinking that he was being murdered, all the while, his poor 7 year old was standing there wondering what the hell was going on. Ever since, I've had a horrible restless feeling in my chest and can't relax. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

I would be really upset for my son if that happened.

I remember one night discovering my son calling for me and DH from outside of our bedroom door, without coming in. It turned out that he was afraid of coming into our room in the pitch black and us not waking up. He didn't like standing in the dark on his own, so instead stayed on the landing (with light on). But he was there for ages without us waking.

So it took a lot of reassurance from us that he should always wake us up, that it was fine to do this vigorously if he needed is to wake quickly, and we would never be mad if he did.

I know when this happened to us, it played on my mind a lot. I felt guilty that he was scared and I wish I'd have bedn there for him in a better way.

I wonder if the way you are feeling is to do with feeling really bad about it? Just make plans and reassurance so that he knows it will never happen again.