Last Night... The Dream Came! (My Son and His Nightmares)

Fitting for the season – and for Halloween – I want to tell you about my evening yesterday.

At first, the evening went as usual. Our older son went to bed around 7:45 p.m. We got our younger one ready, gave him a drink, and tucked him in as well. Then we got ourselves ready for bed.

Just as we were lying down, our older son suddenly called out. I tiptoed into his room and found him crying, pacifier in his mouth. Nothing unusual so far – normally he just wants a sip of water, maybe a quick hug, and then he falls back asleep.

But last night was different. He couldn’t calm down, and I had to go back in several times. I held him and asked if he’d had a bad dream. Then he pointed very seriously toward a dark corner of the room – up above the wardrobe – and said, “Something’s coming.”When I asked what he meant, he told me the dream was coming from there. I honestly didn’t know how to react.

I figured that, for him, the dream had taken the shape of some kind of “monster” that came at night. His grandmother had recently given him a book called “The Scared Lion.” In the story, a child’s bedroom is shown at night, and the shadows from a nightlight turn into monsters – until the mother switches on the light and they all disappear. I guessed he was connecting that story to his own dream.

I checked the corner and told him there was nothing there. It didn’t help.I listened to him and asked what he had dreamed. He said, “A black hole.” That didn’t help either.I told him to think of something nice – maybe excavators or motorcycles, which he loves. Still nothing.I sang to him. No luck.I hugged him. Still no change.I tried explaining what dreams are and that monsters aren’t real. Didn’t work.I left the door slightly open so some light would come in. That didn’t help either.

After a while, I gave up. I pulled out the spare mattress from under his bed, grabbed my blanket and pillow, and slept in his room. A few minutes later, he finally fell asleep – and slept almost through the night.

I don’t know if there was more I could have done or if I handled it the right way. But I was there, I took him seriously, and I stayed with him.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

I just hope tonight I’ll get to sleep in my own bed again…

Rafael