How to handle sudden fear of the dark?

[HIU8]

DS is 4.5 He suddenly is scared to death of the dark. I know it's due to halloween and costumes etc...(he actually had me remove his optimus prime costume from his room). He simply cannot be reasoned with. Either DH or I now have to stay with him until he falls asleep. This morning he woke up at 5 am and I could not get him to go back to sleep (even if I slept in his room with him). Anyone BTDT and have any suggestions for how to help DS get through this?

[BabyMine]

We have a nightlight in M's room. He started having a problem with the dark about a year ago. We also gave him a glow bear.

[HIU8]

DS has a night light and he sleeps with his door open and there is a light in the hallway. None of this seems to help anymore.

[geochick]

We LOVE our Mobi Tyke Lites. They don't get hot, kids can hold them, they have a rechargeable battery so there's no cord in the bed.

Get one now. They are the best for scary dark nights.

[HIU8]

Is there a good online store to get them from?

[BabyMine]

What about reading him books like this one?

http://www.amazon.com/What-Was-Scared-Glow-Encounter/dp/0375853421/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257181986&sr=1-3

[geochick]

Is there a good online store to get them from?

I got mine on WOOT a few years ago. Here are some options:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/192-5980931-1467267?ASIN=B001HKPHYQ&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B001HKPHYQ|Mobi_TykeLight_GloMate_Portable_Nig htLight_Multicolor_LED&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B001HKPHYQ&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HKPHYQ/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000ULWB1U&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0PC16FKYCGPS9VW465JY

[SnuggleBuggles]

Until a few weeks ago, ds1 slept with a lamp on in his room. Not even a night light would cut it. He was sleeping and not waking up scared in the middle of the night so we allowed it. Probably did it for 2 years.

Beth

[HIU8]

DS has a lamp in his room. We could try that. I also think I have a book about not being scared--need to find it. I finally got DD to sleep through the night (yes, she is 2) and now DS has started again. No wonder I'm pretty much a zombie.....

[klwa]

DS has started sleeping with a little flashlight that he can use to spot light anything he might think is making the scary noises. Might help?

[HIU8]

DS already has the flashlight. He mostly uses it. It's not helping with this new fear of ghosts, shadows etc...

[SnuggleBuggles]

Yeah, flashlights and nightlights created shadows which ds was afraid of. That's why he needed lamp.

Beth

[HIU8]

I'm going to try the lamp tonight and see if that at least starts to solve the issue.

[carolinamama]

DS1 falls asleep every night with his light on. Bedtime is hard with him and I have found this to help. He has a lovey and gets a Bakugan (doesn't know what it really is but someone gave it to him and he likes to play with it quietly in bed) and books. Before this phase, we gave him a flashlight every night. It was light and fun for him to shine it around his room before falling asleep. There have been times he has woken up in the middle of the night and asked for his flashlight since we turned if off after he was asleep. A nightlight may work, but it never did for our DS. How about a Twilight Turtle?

I value my sleep too much to be really rigid so we allow DS to sleep in our room in the middle of the night if he wakes and needs it. He is allowed to sneak in our bed but alot of the time he crawls under our bed with his pillow and I don't even know he is there until morning. It's rare but I think it helps him to know it is an option.

[crl]

Nightlight, plus flashlight, plus hall light on. . . . (We tried lamp, but found that DS didn't sleep well with that much light.)

Good luck!
Catherine