You were three years old and it was bedtime. It was not just a huge disruption for you, but even more so for your parents.
The ritual might have gone like this:
Warm milk
hot bath
tooth brushing
pony ride to the bedroom
story time
special stuffed animals
light on in the closet
tucking in the edges of the sheets and blankets
kiss to the forehead
door left open.
You're an adult now, right? Bedtime fears are for babies!
It's time for a little confessional. Which have you done as an adult?
try not to let your hand or leg hang off the side of the bed
see a shape in the dark and turn away, afraid to keep looking
remove clothing you have hanging over something because it looks like a person
leave the TV on timer while falling asleep
wake from a nightmare and get up and leave the room so you don't fall asleep again and finish it
sleep hugging a pillow
can't fall asleep because you're finally alone with your thoughts with no distractions for the first time in the entire day
certain a noise is someone breaking in
get up and lock the bedroom door so there's one more barrier from the intruder
change the channel from a horror movie to comedy so you have no nightmares
turn the light on in the bathroom so you don't see weird shapes in your room
