Patch's Nightmares

Ah, Patch is having a bad spell of nightmares this past week, and we’re all suffering for it.

What terrifies a five – almost six – year old in the cozy comfort of her bedroom, the only bedroom she’s ever had in her entire life, painted her favorite color (pink) and decorated with her favorite cartoon character (Sophia the First)?

A week or so ago, she woke us up, terrified that the “meat men” were going to get her.  To be honest, this kinda spooked me, as I was going through an insomniac phase myself at the time and spent most of the early morning hours in the basement watching alien abduction-themed movies and shows on youtube.

Then, we clarified that “meat men” actually meant “mean men,” in Patch’s parlance.  Whew, that makes a lot more (saner) sense.

So she has these ill-defined, vague nightmares – well, being only five-point-eight years old perhaps she lacks the ability to accurately convey the specifics of her night traumas – that result in her being afraid of her room.  Her room.  Forget the bright night light on when she sleeps, or the door ajar onto a well-lit hallway.  She actually wants to sleep down on the first level, on the couch, in the living room which has all the windows and opens up into the dining room.  A much vaster, darker, formless space than her room.

I try letting her sleep with the light on.  (I’d tiptoe into her room and turn off the lights when I go to bed.)  I try putting gentle, fun ideas in her head (swimming in the town pool this summer, Legends of Oz movie she recently saw, trip down to Nana’s this summer, etc.).  I try doing deep breathing with her. 

Nothing helps.  Early in the week she’s start freaking out twenty minutes after bedtime.  Now she panics when I mention the phrase, “time for bed.”  And every night this week – and a dozen or so times going back a month or so – she creeps into my room at 3 am, whimpering about a terrible nightmare she’s had.

What do I do?  What do we do?

I am baffled. 

Fortunately, the wife is back from her week-long business trip, so we’ll discuss options over the weekend. 

I will post an update in a week or so regardless.