Question
I recently asked a question about my 4 yr old that wakes up 4-5 times a week seeing bugs. You suggested that it could be nightmares. I should have been more specific. He wakes me up screaming about them and tells me to turn on the light, when I do, he says they are gone. When the light goes back out, he sees them again. Last night we stayed up for over an hour and when I took him back to his room(still very awake)and turned off his light he said there was a red bug on the ceiling. Light back on, it was gone. He says the bugs are colored and sometimes they grow. My son is very smart for his age and I have had talks with him about how dreams aren't really happening. He understands this and knows the difference between reality and dreams. He is gets upset if I suggest that it is just a dream. If they are not dreams, what could they be? Also, he does not have a fear of bugs any other time.
Answer
So glad you emailed me back that is a much better explanation and one I can answer with certainity. I must say though for a 4 yr. old to know the difference to turn the light on is very smart. Relax what is happening is normal natural phenomenon however mostly in adults. Its called hypnangogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis. What happens the brain and the body are synchronized to go to sleep together and awaken together, however once in awhile there is a lag of a nano second, so while the body is awake, the brain is still asleep or while the body is asleep the brain is awake which is your sons situation so you are literally dreaming with ones eyes open. Why this happens not enough research. When it happens all too often then it could be a development of a sleep disorder if his wakefulness is being affected such as if he naps more in the daytime or seems more sleepy, then this may be a symptom of narcolepsy which is the uncontrollable urge to fall asleep at inappropriate times. Sometimes the person will be screaming and unable to move literally paralyzed all of this last seconds. Now how to fix this is not so easy but knowing it is natual phenomenon and if you can explain it to your very smart son, he may feel better. The reason he is screaming to turn the light on is because apparently that is what awakens him. First of all as heartbreaking as it may seen when this happens dont shake him or touch him when he is in it. Simply call his name out and say So and so its okay its mommy, but keep calling his first name somehow that pulls one back into the waking state, you see what happens is he is stuck between awake and asleep dreaming.When you shake and awaken this is dreaming rapid eye movement and all of us do this at night and need to . In your sons situation it has to come out and by shaking him you simply push it back and so the brain just picks right up from where it left off. These dreams can be so frightened, that many people like myself who suffer from narcolepsy, literally think either someone is in the room and the most common dream of all is bugs, that I will literally look under the bed to see if the bugs are really there that is how frightening it is. My suggestion is make sure he stays away 3 hours before bedtime from caffeine, chocolate, coke pepsi this makes for restless sleep. a hot bath 30 minutes before bedtime and l5 minutes a warm glass of milk, milk contains tryptophan a natural amino acid deeper sleep inducer. Also I suggest you for a while leave his bedroom lamp on not a nightlight, this may comfort him knowing he doesnt need the light turned on to chase the bugs away. Now if this persist to the point where it is every night I strongly suggest you contact your pediatrician for a possible overnight sleep study. He is rather young to have this symptom but it also could be mikxed in with night terrors, and no scary movies. Go to sleepnet.com click on disorders narcolepsy and read about sleep paralysis and hypnangogic hallucination, only because that site described it best. For now if it happens every now and then , it may even lesson especially with the lighted room. Hope this helps feel free to email again karel
