Sleep Dilemma

Q: Should I let my child watch scary movies in the spirit of Halloween?

A: Each child processes and reacts to the things they see and hear differently. But, let's review some general information on sleep stealers. According to the National Sleep Foundation, "What your child watches can affect her dreams. JoAnne Cantor's book, "Mommy, I’m Scared": How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them, eloquently describes the negative effects that the vivid visual pictures on the television screen can have on children (and the same would certainly apply to computer game graphics). As an adult, you can process and put into context the disturbing images you seen on the nightly news or the latest crime drama, but your child may not be able to do the same and may incorporate those images into nightmares."

And TV watching may just have negative effects on sleep regardless of the content, "Children who watch a lot of television, watch television as part of their bedtime routine, and especially children who have a television in their room are more likely to have sleep problems. These include difficulty falling asleep, anxiety at bedtime, and night wakings. These children are also more likely to get less sleep than they need. Granted, this is only an association and does not prove cause and effect. That is, there might be a bit of a chicken-and-egg phenomenon going on here. It may be that children who have problems falling asleep to begin with might be more likely to watch TV to "help" them fall asleep. However, there are also a number of important reasons why trying to use the background noise and soft glow of a TV to fall asleep are a bad idea at best. (National Sleep Foundation)

Personally, I would skip the scary movies and opt for another Halloween activity like going to a pumpkin patch or something that you find age appropriate for your child.