A 9-year-old boy says he has nightmares every day about being eaten by monsters, and he also says he is afraid of the dark because he thinks there are ghosts.
Disease description:
A nine-year-old boy has recently been experiencing frequent nightmares, often dreaming that he is chased and eaten by monsters, which makes him feel extremely frightened. In addition, he has started to fear the dark, believing that ghosts exist in the darkness. This fear makes it difficult for him to fall asleep at night, significantly affecting his sleep quality and daily life.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng
During their growth, children may experience nightmares and fear of the dark due to psychological development and environmental influences. Nightmares are usually associated with emotional factors such as psychological stress, anxiety, and fear, while fear of the dark may stem from fear of the unknown or be influenced by family and social environments. Frequent occurrences of such phenomena in a 9-year-old boy indicate he may be experiencing psychological distress.
Parents should provide children with sufficient feelings of security and psychological support, helping to alleviate their fears through actions such as hugging and comforting. Parents should also pay attention to the audiovisual content and storybooks the child is exposed to, avoiding excessively violent or frightening material. If symptoms persist, professional psychological counseling is recommended to help the child overcome his fears through psychological guidance.
