4 year old scared of sleeping alone

[katface]

ds has been very frightened of sleeping on his own for the past week or so. i am not sure what has triggered it, but he was looking at a Dr Who mag while i was shopping, i think that did it as the problem started that night. he says he has been dreaming of bugs or ants sitting on his shoulder

this is so bizarre because we have never had a problem like this before. he has also just started reception class, which he loves, he goes in happy everyday, but just wondering if all these changes may have triggered anxieties too ?

i don't mind sleeping in his room, but it has reached the stage that he won't let me leave the room. i usually leave after he has fallen asleep, but he wakes up and if dh or i are not there, he will scream.

we have been leaving a light on in the corner of the room, but it isn't helping. he was so used to sleeping in the dark.

tonight i have left the curtain half open so he is getting light into the room from the street light. he seemed happy with this and fell asleep quickly, but i am sure he is going to wake up in a few hours and freak out again.

he is nearly 4 and a half, so i don't want him to start sleeping with us again. i don't want to leave him to cry and get upset though either.

any suggestions or ideas please ?

When my goddaughter started getting scared about various things around the same age, her mum gave her a special fairy and made up a poem that they said together every night. basically along the lines of the fairy was her special protector and got rid of all the baddies.

Now, I doubt your son will like fairies but if there is something else you could use instead that he likes? A power ranger with super powers to get rid of the bugs?

thanks pudding. he has had a couple of teddy bears since he was a baby. last night i said the teddies would protect him if mummy wasn't in the room to which he replied (but mummy talks, the teddies can't talk !)

he does have a female power ranger - that's a good idea i will defo try that trick too.

he also has a spiderman and a 4 arms from Ben 10. I wonder if these characters are the cause of the problem though, i wish boys could play with dolls and fairies too, much less aggression involved !!

i left the curtains open so he got light from the street lamp, instead of a light in his room.

the good news is he slept on his own for the first time in a week i managed to sleep really well too in my own bed.

it is 7 am now, he has been sleeping 12 hours, his usual, without waking

let's hope it was just a temp. thing and he has got over it.