Hi
My just turned 7 year old son has very recently (last 2/3weeks) got really anxious about going to sleep and wants one of us to stay with him for the whole night. We are able to sneak out when he completely asleep if we try when he's just dropped off he wakes.
Most nights now he wakes, comes to our room and one of us will go and sleep in his room, he goes straight back to sleep and is fine in the morning.
It's a change to how he was, he's always preferred someone to be with him but was ok if we had to leave him after a story and quick cuddle. So now it feels like he's regressed and I'm not sure what to do about it. He really gets worked up before bed about someone being with him. I don't want to be too harsh on him and make him feel worse. I've tried asking him if there's anything wrong and he just says he doesn't like how it feels to be on his own. Some nights he'll say he will be sad when we die etc. but not sure that's really the problem. Any advise about what we can do in a gentle way? He's not particularly good at being on his own in his room even without it being bedtime so I was thinking start with more time just playing or chilling alone in his room, but if he doesn't want to it feels mean to make him. Any help or advise?
Thanks