My Child Saw a Scary Image and Can’t Sleep. What Can I Do?
This post is part of a series where our team of child mental health professionals answer real questions submitted by readers like you. This post deals with worries related to school. Please take care when reading.
One parent recently wrote in with a question about their son’s reaction to seeing a scary image on tv. Here is their question, and an answer from our team of child mental health experts.
“My 6-year-old saw a scary image of a baby turning into monster in a children’s show at his granny’s house, and it really scared him. It’s now three days later, and he still cries about it every night. He struggles to go to sleep. He sleeps well and is fine during day, though maybe not as lively as usual. How can I help him understand and overcome this fear?”
- J., United States
Thank you for reaching out to Little Otter.
Young children often have a difficult time discerning between real vs. perceived threats, and it is typical that a child your son's age might be frightened or fixated on the disturbing image you describe.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help him overcome his anxiety.
Help him express his feelings. Many children his age can verbalize internal experiences quite well. Listen and then assure him that it's completely normal that he was taken by surprise by that image and that it makes sense it scared him.
Talk to him about his understanding of pretend vs. real life. Emphasize the fact that nothing like that happens in real life. He's old enough to know that but young enough that a reminder from you may be comforting.
Help him practice healthy distraction. Enjoyable visualization can be supportive before bed. Ask him to select any positive, fun memory or experience and then describe it to you out loud in as much detail as possible. Some ideas may include his favorite birthday party, vacation, or an upcoming event. Doing something fun when the memory comes up can also help him replace anxiety with positive feelings.
Tell him that the memory of that image will probably go away soon and that if not (and you're inclined to seek further support), you can add that you will contact a nice person who works with children when they are upset and who can help him feel better.
If your son continues to experience significant distress (crying, seeing the image when he doesn't want to think about it, sleep disturbance) for two weeks without improvement, I would recommend asking his primary care provider for a counseling referral in your area.
Depending on where you’re located, Little Otter also offers mental health services to families and children as needed.
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