There may really be a real monster under your kid???s bed!

Seriously, they could actually be there!

If you are a parent you have heard about monsters under the bed and in the closet. There was even a movie about Monsters coming into kid???s bedrooms through the closet. They were collecting screams, or some such.

There are many unknown underlying problems that can keep a child from wanting to go to bed.

* Mommy and Daddy were sharing cross words just before bed time

* Brother Johnny told them they were adopted

* Sister Sally told the child about her best friend disappearing one night

All these things can coagulate into monsters.

You could probably write a book about the different monsters your kids have described.

Bedtime problems are probably right behind ???potty training??? as a worry factor in your child???s upbringing. Probably as much time is spent by parents on cajoling kids to sleep as any other part of parenting.

And some parents cajole so well. Some do it by fighting with the monster.

There is actually a monster-proofing spray you can make for your kids.

It contains:

One ounce of peppermint oil [health food store]
16 ounces of water
One hair of a dog or cat [check your living room rug] ??" this is optional

Mix together in a spray bottle. If the monster is bothering your child, shake the bottle [monster antidotes tend to settle in the mixture] and spray under the bed. And maybe some in the closet too [for good measure].

It works very well for the average monster.

But what about the super monsters, the real monsters?

Think about this:

* There is usually stuff under the bed. Things like old socks, dust, half eaten sandwiches.

* Mold grows on stuff.

* Mold produces spores and chemicals

* Spores are breathed in by the sleeping child

* The chemicals are breathed, too.

* Kid cannot sleep because some of these chemicals are neuro- excitatory. These chemicals disturb sleep, cause hallucinations, cause body aches, and can even contribute to ADHD symptoms.

* Kid???s imagination invents monster to explain these feelings.

* Plus these molds can actually cause allergies, sinus infections, lung infections, ear aches and dandruff [oh no, not dandruff]

Now I don???t know about you, but that sounds like the definition of a monster to me.

The solution?

Make two monster sprays. Exchange Tea Tree Oil for the Peppermint oil in the first formula. This second formula will help hold off on mold growth, I mean Monsters, under the bed.

Oh, and maybe cleaning under the bed might help too.

For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean environment. DrGraham@themoldlab.com