daughter says things look far away at night...

47 answers /

Last post: 10/03/2023 at 11:44 pm

Anonymous

26/05/2010 at 9:03 pm

My daughter is nearly 8 and is usually very good at going to bed. The last few nights shes been getting out of bed (never normally gets up unless she needs loo, she just shouts if she wants something) and shouting us, looking a bit scared and saying that things look like they're far away in her room. I cant really get out of her what she means, not sure if she cant focus properly and its an eye problem - although she never mentions it in the day, or she thinks things are moving and its as if shes dizzy? Or shes imagining it. Its just unlike her. Shes been wanting me to sit on her bed while she falls asleep. Anyone got any ideas? I think i'll try and get her in at the gp but dont really know what to say to them either!

victoria p(147)

26/05/2010 at 9:09 pm

Hi x

is your daughter awake when she comes into your room? I ask this because when i was younger i used to have night terrors - i would say weird things about what i could see in my room. I never remembered it in the morning - have you asked her in the day time to explain?

Anonymous

26/05/2010 at 9:21 pm

She does seem to be awake. Very rarely - once or twice a year, she does sleep walk so I think I'd know if she wasnt properly asleep. Its only when shes first going to sleep, touch wood she hasnt done it once shes fallen asleep properly if you see what I mean, so shes not waking up in the middle of the night saying things dont look right. I do remember when I was young having a dream a few times where things on my wardrobe looked like they were getting bigger and smaller and when I woke up I thought they were still doing it. But its the fact shes been complaining every night thats got me puzzled.

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Anonymous

26/05/2010 at 9:27 pm

I used to get a similar thing, I remember one night I got into mum and dads bed, and I could see the wardrobes at the bottom of the bed shaking so I went and got back in my own bed. I think it could be linked to slight panic attacks cause ever so ocassionally I get them now - not the vision, but the feeling of being overwhelmed and very anxious.

All you can do is be supportive but firm until it passes, you might find it comes and goes in intensity until it is outgrown. I don't actually remember having nightmares and I slept well, just this feeling before sleep and although it wasn't downright frightening for me it's not very nice. I also had the night terrors before this. (I also had a happy childhood.)

Anonymous

26/05/2010 at 9:32 pm

Thanks ladies. She does have a good imagination and reads a lot, its just strange as shes normally a good sleeper, its my 3 year old son who can be a pain at going to sleep, I'm not used to her messing about! I'll see if shes any better next week when shes off school. Maybe shes a bit run down after 7 weeks at school and with a few lie ins she'll be OK.

Anonymous

08/06/2010 at 7:24 pm

Hi, I think I know EXACTLY what your daughter means.
I used to explain it to my mum as everything getting near and far, big and small, all at the same time!

Unfortunately no-one ever believed me. It was only when my younger brother developed the same, but more severe symptoms, that my parents beleived I had been through the same thing.

I was 9 when I started with this, and my brother was 4. No-one could ever really explain exactly what it was, but it is something to do with almost fainting/passing out and trying to hold focus. That is why everything gets far away.

For us, it always happened when we were sleepy or very relaxed, and we always found that getting up and moving helped to make it go away, I guess because that stopped our brains switching off? My brother would always run for 5 minutes when he felt it coming on!

I am not sure if it is the same thing your daughter is experiencing, but it did ring a bell when I read your post. Can I ask, is she quite clever, because apparently people who are suffer from this sort of thing more often!

I am not sure if any of this makes sense to you, I am trying to explain it to the best of my ability.

Please get in touch if you think I can help any further.

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Anonymous

08/06/2010 at 9:22 pm

I remember getting this as a child. For me, my ability for perspective would disappear as I was falling to sleep, so things that were far away seemed really small and I lost my binocular vision. I just thought it was an interesting side effect of going to bed.

I would tell her that it's a normal part of falling asleep and there is nothing to be afraid of.

Sweet dreams.

Anonymous

08/06/2010 at 10:31 pm

In answer to

Anonymous

Thanks for your reply, it was interesting to read! Yes she is quite bright, not gifted but in top sets at school despite being the baby of the class. It does seem to have stopped but if she starts again i'll try telling her to get up and walk round for a minute.

Anonymous

08/06/2010 at 10:35 pm

I used to get something similar, it was like there was an invisble box, that kept getting bigger and bigger, i would find it very distressing and hard to explain, i could get up and walk around and it wouldnt stop which is why i knew i wasnt dreaming it. never figured out what is was but it did go away eventually.

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Anonymous

12/04/2011 at 3:54 am

Well i am literally having this problem as i post this, it is called alice in wonderland syndrome, this can be severe because this is a symptiom of a brain tumor

Can't find your answer?

Anonymous

12/04/2011 at 5:35 am

In answer to

Anonymous

Well i am literally having this problem as i post this, it is called alice in wonderland syndrome, this can be severe because this is a symptiom of a brain tumor

Not in all cases! Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, or Todds Syndrome is actually quite common in childhool!

Found this to put your mind at ease

Alice in Wonderland syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anonymous

12/04/2011 at 5:41 am

and also BBC - h2g2 - Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

and please excuse my bad typing... up there it should say childhood not childhool

Anonymous

12/04/2011 at 8:35 am

Well I am going to read that article now, but I certainly haven't developed a brain tumour, and nor has my brother, so am sure it is nothing to panick about!