does he suffer from night terrors? I did, I grew out of them at about 15).
The combination of night terrrors, a vivid imagination and scary material is a perfect storm for anxiety. I used to read horror stories during the day and be a complete basket case at night having full blown hallucinations. I still don't look out the window at night in case I see piggy eyes looking at me a la Amityville, or look in the mirror after washing my hands at night.
Maybe see a sleep specialist, I believe there are drugs and therapies now to help, also just coping techniques. If it is terrors, the fear is real. People say that you can't remember them but it is not true, 20 years on, I still remember my scariest hallucinations and my parents reaction of punishing me for turning on the light. If you sort out the night problems, hopefully the day time issues should resolve.
