Toddler scared of the dark - please help?

[Findingahappyplace]

Looking for advice for my 2 year old.
I posted on here not too long ago having a terrible time with my toddlers sleep and I was considering sleep training. I ended up buying a nightlight and it seemed like the solution to all our problems.
He was no longer waking up screaming, if he woke up he would shout for me and I would go in and say good night and he would roll over and go to sleep. Was only waking up once maybe twice a night. We realised all this time he must be scared of the dark.
Anyway, all has changed recently. I think he had a bad nightmare a week ago. He woke up screaming, hysterical, completely inconsolable. When I tried to leave the room he was hysterical. Didn’t want the door shut.
He used to always go to bed ok, but now he is hysterical even when I put him down to bed at night. He is fine until I try to leave the room. He looks absolutely terrified.
Last night he woke up at 11 hysterical and I had to turn nightlight up to highest setting and open his door and have bathroom light on, so his room was flooded with light, before he would calm down.
He did then sleep till 5 which is the most sleep I’ve had in a long time, but I am so worn out.
Does anyone have any ideas at all for helping a toddler who is scared of the dark?
He can’t really communicate how he’s feeling. He can’t say he’s scared or what he’s scared of which is a bit of a barrier, and probably why he just screams hysterically.
Anyway, all ideas welcome as I am really struggling to function on so little sleep atm. Doing this on my own as dad can’t help and I’m really exhausted, so any advice appreciated.

DS has been having night terrors, he woke up last week screaming that daddy was gone even with DH standing in front of him (he wasn't fully with it), this week that he'd lost his ticket for the train (he wasn't going on a train and didn't have a ticket to lose).... His keyworker at nursery said there's a few of them having nightmares etc about a variety of things and it's not unusual at his age.

He watches little TV definitely nothing age inappropriate and is usually very confident, picks up spiders, no problems with the dark etc. So it might not be the dark itself that's making your DS scared. We put a few of those glow in the dark stars on the ceiling above his bed but he said they were too bright and he couldn't sleep(!).

It sounds like your DS is a little bit less verbal which makes it trickier. Does he have any bedtime stories that might frighten him? One DN had nightmares about wolves for weeks after little red riding hood at best, other DN insists on incy wincy spider before bed then wakes up screaming there's a spider in her bed. Toddlers are pretty irrational.

DS is 2.5

Yoy can buy dimmer switches for peanuts. And they are really easy to fit.

Then have the overhead bedroom light on all night, but dimmed down.

The very basic, simple answer for children scared of the dark is to make the room lighter. They'll still sleep well. It's just a mindset change from parents that's needed, pitch black isn't necessary for good quality sleep anymore.

Could he be anxious about having another nightmare. I've had nightmares all my life and I remember the fear of going to sleep at night and being worried about having a bad dream. Maybe a dream catcher or a something might comfort him a bit more and some reassurance that they are just movies while he sleeps and aren't real. To be honest nightmares are terrifying no matter what age. I was awake last night several times after having a few and I honestly still feel really freaked out upon waking. So I can only imagine that fear as a really small child.

I did consider maybe it was stories that could be upsetting him or maybe something on tv. I’ve made all his bedtime stories very tame now 😂 so not a hint of anything frightening 😂
I might have to have a think about his tv programs though. He is very into dinosaurs atm, but some of the programs IMO the dinosaurs are a bit creepy looking. 😂 I don’t know, maybe I will try a couple of days without some of those programs and see if that makes a difference.
It is hard because he can’t tell me what is wrong. He can only say “mummy, out!” (To say he wants to get out of bed) he can’t say if he’s scared or what he’s scared of so it’s difficult to know how to make it better.

@FATEdestiny I hadn’t thought of a dimmer switch in his room, I may have to give that a try. Thank you.

@romdowa

Could he be anxious about having another nightmare. I've had nightmares all my life and I remember the fear of going to sleep at night and being worried about having a bad dream. Maybe a dream catcher or a something might comfort him a bit more and some reassurance that they are just movies while he sleeps and aren't real. To be honest nightmares are terrifying no matter what age. I was awake last night several times after having a few and I honestly still feel really freaked out upon waking. So I can only imagine that fear as a really small child.

Yes it could be this. I also suffer from really bad nightmares and always have, so he probably gets it from me. I did have a moment last night when I got quite cross with him for not sleeping and had to leave the room, he was screaming for me but I needed to calm down. When I went back in and saw his frightened little face I felt really guilty 😞 I know he’s just scared and just wants his mummy and some reassurance because he’s frightened, and I felt awful because I know that fear myself. I am just so exhausted by it all 😞😴 I’m not entirely sure if he would understand a dream catcher and I’m not sure how much he understands the concept of dreams because he can’t communicate but I will certainly think about it.