2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

I posted about this yesterday, but it continues, and I wanted to see if anyone has suggestions for ways to deal with it.

DS has been a great nightime sleeper pretty consistently since he turned a year. We have a routine, read him books, he has his loveys, we kiss him good night, turn out the light, leave the room, and he was always fine with it.

In the last few days, it has all changed. He is terrified to be left alone, and when we have tried leaving him for any amount of time, he works himself up into hysteria. When we go in to get him he clings to us for dear life. I do think something about going to sleep frightens him now. His vocabulary is limited, but when I ask him what is scary, he says wolves?!? I have no idea where the wolves came from, maybe a bad dream?

Anyway, the only way we can get him to go to sleep is to sit in the room with him till he falls asleep. Which I don't mind doing for naps and bedtime, but it's getting old when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Plus, because is frighteneed, it's taking him awhile to fall asleep again.

Has anyone dealt with this, and do you have other suggestions? I wish I knew where this sudden fear came from, but I have not a clue.

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

I think it's normal. My dd went thru the same thing, she would wake up very scared during the night. I think it could of been from a bad dream. The only way she would go back to sleep is if my dh or I slept with her. She is sleeping by herself much better now, so I think it's just a phase they go thru.

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

Does he need/or have a night light?

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

I tried a nightlight last night, but it made no difference. And for his nap today, the room still had some light, so I don't think it's just the dark.

But it's a good idea!

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

Are you on a different house level than him? I'm asking bc my sister who is 8 and 10 years younger than my brother an I, was scared to be in her room by herself bc of dogs barking outside. My parents have a bedroom upstairs and if I was at college and my brother was out, she wouldn't sleep downstairs in her room.

She would bring a pillow and blanket up and sleep on my parents floor.

Maybe he hears dogs outside? Perhaps having soft music to drown out outside noises would help?

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

Have you tried the Twilight Turtle?

That helped Logan when he was going through something similar.

I was also told to try a spray bottle of water and call it "monster spray" that would make all the monsters go away.

Maybe you could call it wolf spray?


We still have issues some nights. His curtains were "angry" the other night and scaring him.

I had to turn on the light and show him the pattern on the curtains and talk about how it was a tree branch, not an angry face and he was okay then.

But I think it's just this age and their imaginations - and Halloween didn't help!!

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

Great ideas! We tried the wolf spray, and when DH got home he inspected the room for wolves. But he still woke up screaming.

I think it might be more of a separation anxiety thing actually, and not wolves, or not anymore. Not sure why it's coming up now, but it might just be a 2 year old thing.

So for now, we are taking turns sitting with him until he goes to sleep, which is fine at naps and bedtime. It's the middle of the night wake ups that are a pain. But I don't know what else to do--he is definitely afraid of something, and I don't feel comfortable CIO in that situation.

The suggestions were great though, and when nightmares start, they should be helpful!

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

My DS is 2 1/2 and had been afraid of the Cookie Monster for some time. Same things you mentioned - we always needed to be in his room, first holding him, then holding his hand through the crib, then sitting next to crib. Now he is better, but still has bad days here and there. A girl in his daycare dressed up like the Cookie Monster for Halloween and that set him off again. there have been random other things he was scared of too - a zebra and some other toy in his room. We took anything that had CM in it out of his room, we talk all the time about how friendly CM is and how much he loves kids, we let him look all around his room before bed. It was really intense for like 2 months (every night) and now is only occasionally.
He loves Elmo, so we got him a little soft one that he takes to bed at night, and we talk about how they are friends too.

Could he be saying something else that sounds live wolves - like "woofs", like a dog barking? My DS gets startled when our dog barks...Or woobsy if he watches that show?

Good luck!

Re: 2 Year Old-Afraid to go to Sleep Alone

I forgot about the barking--it's possible--some neighbors two houses down have a dog, and we wouldn't hear the dog from our bedroom, but he may hear the dog from his room.

But I have been up with him the last few nights till he falls asleep (slept on the floor of his room one bad night) and didn't hear a thing.

I'm guessing it may have started with a bad dream involving wolves or big dogs, and now it's more of an anxiety thing.

2 months, huh? I'm going to miss my bed!