“A good night’s sleep” This amazing combination of words itself manages to draw a soothing feeling over us. Given a chance, neither of us would choose to leave our cozy beds ever! Who would want to venture out to contribute to the daily chaos and deprive themselves of some peaceful sleep? And while you’re busy comparing your sleep schedule with pandas that sleep all day, there are some who fear rest. How could it even be possible you wonder? Look under your bed. The answer is right there!
Even today, parents use this myth to trick their kids into sleeping. They warn their children that the monsters under their bed would pay them a visit if they don’t sleep soon. Scared out of their wits, they have no option but to oblige. But even though parents feed lies to their kids, have you ever wondered where this myth originated from? Is it just a scare tactic or is there something we’re turning a blind eye to?
“Boogeyman” is someone every child is familiar with; thanks to our parents’ patent techniques of putting us to sleep. Though children believe he exists, Boogeyman is just a mythical creature. People all over the world have managed to cook up their own stories about this monster, making him even more terrorizing. This creature does not even have a particular appearance or gender. People modify his traits as per their wish with a view to portraying him as frightening as they can.
Though Bogeyman is a common title for the monster under the bed, there are other tags for him too. The name for this monster and the tale associated with him varies from country to country. For instance, in the Bahamas, this monster is called the “small man”. It is said that this man has the power to shrink any kid seen after loitering around sunset. And once they become minute in size, they have to accompany the small man and can never return home. In China, the monster is a witch who kidnaps kids who stay past bedtime. She is known as “Ou-wu” according to the tale. Another monster with a similar tale is famous among people of Maharashtra with the name “Bagul Bua”.
And even if these are just practices to keep children from misbehaving, some actually fear to go to bed. A condition called Monster under my bed syndrome is quite common among children who are petrified of sleeping on beds. It is true that this trick manages to scare kids and urges them not to misbehave. But parents must make sure not to let a mere frightening technique create horror in them forever. What would you do if you find yourself in a terrified kid’s position? Sleep on the ground or embrace the monster under your bed?