You've finished the bedtime story and now it's time for you to tuck in your little angel to sleep. You kiss him goodnight, pull the sheets around him, and turn off the lights. You lie down on your own bed, but just when you're about to sleep, you hear a little whimper at the doorway. Your child is standing there, shivering, saying that there's a monster under his bed, and asking if he can sleep with you.

Having monsters under the bed or inside the closet is a tradition many people experience during their childhood. It's often brought about by a very active imagination or factors like mattresses squeaking or shadows dancing on walls. This trait is common among kids, but it must be dealt with properly. Monster hallucinations, if not resolved completely, can lead to nightmares, paranoia, trauma and insecurity in the future.

As a loving parent, it's your responsibility to help your child get rid of his bedtime monsters. There are some easy and effective ways to do this. Here are a few tactics you can try.

See? No Monsters!

This is the most mature and most straight-to-the-point way of dealing with under-the-bed monsters. You have to convince him that there's nothing there, and he's got nothing to fear. Here's how: right before he sleeps, lift the sheets and show him what his bed looks like underneath. Explain to him that there's no way any monster will be able to hide in there. Be very gentle and sincere when talking to him. If your child has an understanding and perceptive mind, then this tactic will work fine.

You should expect that he'll doubt you or he won't believe you very easily. If he refuses to believe, don't press or scold him. Just let him be. After some time, explain it to him again. Keep doing this for several times, until he understands what you're saying. Soon, you'll get his trust, and the monsters will be gone.

Check Under The Bed

Have you checked under his bed recently? Most children don't just make up monster hallucinations. Oftentimes, these are caused by factors that he can hear, smell or feel underneath him whenever he lies down. Perhaps, there is really something down there that disrupts his peace that you haven't noticed. It might not be a monster, but it's definitely something that disturbs him and arouses his creative imagination.

Make it a point to check and clean your child's bed every now and then. Perhaps there are toys under there that cause scraping and squeaking sounds. Maybe there are little mice running underneath. Check the mattress for lumps or chunks that “poke” your kid when he's sleeping. Or maybe there's some rotten food that's hidden down there that causes an awful monster-like smell. When you get rid of these factors, your kid will experience less disturbance during the night. Eventually, his monster fear will go away.

Keep The Lights On

The most creative kids often have monster illusions when they're in the dark. When you turn off the lights, that's when their worse fears come to life. They see shadows dancing around the room and imagine shapes rising from the remote corners of the room. When they can't see anything, they feel more vulnerable and are more frightened.

To solve this, don't keep your children in the dark. Leave the lights on when they're about to sleep. It might not be a very good growing up tactic, but if it'll help ease their monster fright, you should try it. If your kid can't sleep well in bright light, install a light dimmer in his room so he can easily adjust the dimness according to what makes him most comfortable.

Another idea is to just have a small bedside lamp for your child. If you want, you can also give him his own flashlight. He can shine it on monsters moving or hiding in the dark. Tell him monsters don't like it when light shines on them directly, so he can use this to shoo them away.

Remember the Powerpuff Girls cartoon? Because Bubbles can't sleep in the dark, Professior Utonium keeps their door slightly ajar, so some light will enter and comfort her. You can do the same for your child if you don't want your kid to get used to sleeping with the lights on.

The Futon Technique

Japanese and Koreans don't worry about monsters under their beds. That's because their beds literally don't have any space under them where monsters can hide. They sleep on a thick mattress-like bed that lies flat on the floor, called a futon. This is designed to be placed on tatami flooring, and is usually folded away and stored in the closet during the day. It's a flexible, practical and comfy sleeping material.

If you can't talk or use the lights-on technique to cure your kid's monster trauma, then maybe you need to settle on another tactic, like getting him a new bed to sleep on. A futon is the best option, since it doesn't have the “lurking space” in between the floor and bed where monsters can lie. It's warm, snug and comfy, just like a regular bed. Your kid might not be able to adjust to it immediately, but at least he'll be at peace knowing there's no scary thing hiding under him.

Be Creative

If your child is still quite young (between two and five years old), then convincing him with creative tactics will still be very effective. Before he goes of to sleep, think of creative and believable games or activities to drive the monster away. Not only will this help decrease his fear, but it's also a fun bonding bedtime activity the two of you will enjoy. Here are a few ideas you can try.

• Make a monster repellent spray – Think of the monster as an annoying bug, and tell your child that the creature can be driven away with a magic concoction. Get a spray bottle and let your child decorate it according to how she wants to. Then, fill it with colorless liquid. You can add a bit of cologne to make it smell pleasant. Before bedtime, instruct her to spray all over the room to drive the monster away.
• Have a “monster check” routine – You can turn this activity into a fun bedtime game. Before you tuck in your kid to sleep, walk around the room together and check every corner, including the closet, behind cabinets and under the table and the bed. Secure the windows and put away large toys that may cause shadows. Before you leave, declare the room “monster-free”.
• Set a monster trap – It's not an actual trap, just a make-believe one. You need a cardboard box and some drawing materials for this. Let your child decorate the box, then attach a small bell to it. When your child is finished decorating the trap, tell him to put it under the bed. Tell him that when the bell rings, the trap has caught a monster in it. When he's not looking anymore, take the clapper (the sound-making) device from inside the bell, so it won't make a sound. As long as the bell won't make any noise, he'll always have a peaceful night.

Make A Monster Friend

Most kids believe that monsters hiding under beds and inside closets are creepy, scary, and exist to terrorize them. You have to remove this belief, and one way of doing it is by making him think that the monster is not frightening at all. Tell him that the monster is actually as frightened as he is, and is also seeking a little comfort or maybe a little bedtime snack to lull him to sleep.

Help your child become friends with the monster. This is another creative, but effective tactic you can try. Put little tokens or snacks (cookies, cupcakes or crackers) for the creature under the bed, as a peace offering and a sign of friendship. Coax your child to speak to the monster out loud (even if you can't see him) and tell him he's willing to be friends. Do this several times until your kid is convinced that the monster won't be doing him any harm, and he can sleep in peace.

Just Listen

Sometimes, all it takes to drive away monsters is to listen. According to child experts, fearing a monster under a bed or inside a closet is a sign of insecurity or anxiety. Maybe there's something bothering him inside that unsettles him, causing his imagination to create make-believe monsters instead. Perhaps those monsters are manifestations of problems he's thinking about.

Sit down with your child and have a long talk with him, but instead of doing all the talking, just listen. Coax him gently to tell his worries to you. Is he being bullied at school? Is someone being mean to him? Is there a stranger who's bothering him? Listening not only lets him loosen up and let go of the monsters, but it also lets you learn more about your child's life. Soon, he'll forget about his monster fear and you'll be at ease knowing your child's life is secure and happy.

Fearing monsters lurking under the bed is typical among children, but this phase can be sometimes difficult to overcome. If you're already having a hard time dealing with this, try these tactics. You'll be at ease knowing your child's comfortable and he's having a monster-free sleep every night.