Hi everyone,
Sorry if this is the wrong place but I really need help how to handle this.
My 5yo soon to be 6 dd has suddenly began having issues going to sleep and has been up during the night and in our bed for the last 3 nights.
I put this down to changes in routine after having Covid she is just back at school and us back at work so lots of time with us to limited time. She has herself in a right state, she can hear footsteps, hissing and keeps saying my bed is shaking. She said in a newspaper at school a spider had came home from holidays in someone’s suitcase and she thinks it’s under her bed. There is a den under her bed so I was easily able to check it and reassure her.
I don’t want her in our bed I feel if we do this it will be harder to get her back to her own and for a wee girl who has always slept in her own bed I don’t think it’s good to change it now.
I don’t know if I’m being too soft or too strict or what the best approach is! She went to bed and I had to stay there until she fell asleep, I’m positive she will be up again tonight. We sprayed all her room tonight before she went to bed so no spiders would come in, we haven’t had one in our house for months so it’s not like she has just seen one.
She is literally freaking herself out and I don’t know how to stop it. I mean I can’t say ur being silly because these are genuine fears for her.
I was considering sleeping on her floor tonight so that when she wakes I’m immediately there to help calm her but not sure if this is the wrong thing to do either.
Sorry for rambling, if anyone has any advice on what they have done or would do I would really appreciate it.
Many thanks x
In case of any help our bedtime routine has been the same since she was a baby.
Bath/shower
Supper and tv program
Reading time with parent
Story cd or music to which she normally falls over very quickly