What is causing my five-year-old client to cry so at bedtime and be tormented by nightmares? What can we do to help him?

This is a consequence of his being tormented by dark spirit attachments, as is all too common. There are karmic issues being stirred up, even at his young age, because they can see points of vulnerability and remind him of past difficulties. And while his five-year-old mind is not able to understand all the implications, it knows they are showing him scenes pertaining to his own being and will feel the emotional impact of what he’s witnessing. That is a favorite tactic to taunt and terrorize their host, simply to get more energy for themselves by ramping up the person to cause intense negative emotions. Thankfully, there is no deeper causation here. There is not a heavy karmic burden that would still be a force to contend with that would inevitably drag him down at the start of his life like this. Nor is there extraterrestrial manipulation going on to target him for extra negative attention. So this is something that is healable, and as you pointed out to the father, needs to be maintained in terms of keeping him clear while he has time for things to calm down and the emotional intensity eases from having become highly sensitized and conditioned to have a meltdown, so to speak, at bedtime because he is so fearful of what may come. Once he experiences a normal nighttime of calm and his mind is able to work through inner tensions productively and not be overwhelmed by being bullied, his fear of bedtime will wane and eventually he will have a normal bedtime routine. Most children resist bedtime because they simply do not want to stop what they are doing. They are so full of life that every moment is a joy and holds the promise of new delights, new discoveries, new adventures. That is a normal situation all parents witness. But there is a purpose for a bedtime routine to help the young ones learn to calm themselves and prepare for the nighttime period of rest and restoration, which is essential for their health. Those parents who let their children stay up until they are truly exhausted are doing them a disservice. It is encouraging them to be uncontained and undisciplined. What we are speaking of here is more self-discipline than a parental heavy hand. Children need guidance with a gentle touch and with loving oversight and concern for their welfare. That will go a long way to minimize discomfort and disappointment as they learn they are not the center of the world and have to experience a give-and-take with the adults in charge.