History Main / ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight

** Also appears in ''[=~'Salem's Lot~=]'', where the master vampire takes the appearence of one of the characters' childhood bogeyman.

*** He also appeared in an ''Series/AmazingStories'' episode wherein his Voodoo Babysitter called up similar beasties to ensure good behavior from him and his brother.

*** He also appeared in an ''AmazingStories'' episode wherein his Voodoo Babysitter called up similar beasties to ensure good behavior from him and his brother.

* There is an old Claymation show literally called ''BumpInTheNight''.

* The stop-motion animated series Bump in the Night had as the main protagonist a small green monster that lived under a young boy's bed who ate socks and dust-bunnies, called Mr Bumpy. His best friend was a blue slime-monster that lived in the house's bathroom (who was a bit of a neat-freak.) Neither of them were scary, and Mr Bumpy acted more like a traditional boggart (trickster) than scary. There was, however, a scary Closet Monster made up of dirty clothes, with coat-hanger claws and a washing-basket shell like a turtle.

* The movie ''Monster InTheCloset'' is a comedic riff on this idea, in which it is revealed that the indestructible titular entity [[spoiler:needs closets to survive, and the only way to kill it is to destroy every closet in the world]].

* The movie ''Monster In The Closet'' is a comedic riff on this idea, in which it is revealed that the indestructible titular entity [[spoiler:needs closets to survive, and the only way to kill it is to destroy every closet in the world]].

* Boggarts in the ''HarryPotter'' books like to hide under beds.

* Why, the SlenderMan, of course! He's normally shown as appearing in the night, although he doesn't always go bump.

->"From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggety beasties and [[TropeNamer things that go bump in the night,]] good Lord, deliver us!
-->-- Welsh Prayer

* Subverted in ''SupernaturalLaw''; the monster under the bed is inoffensive and the kid is a horrible brat who took a baseball bat to it.

Frequently found in concert with an IronicNurseryTune.

* Spike Milligan's poem:

* Robert Sheckley's scifi short ''Ghost V'' is about two troubleshooters hired to investigate the bizarre events on a far-off planet; they belatedly realize that the planet brings your subconscious imaginings to life, and so they have to spend the entire return trip to Earth battling the bogeymen of their shared childhood. They finally [[spoiler:survive by, yes, hiding under the blankets on their bunks.]]

* The slasher under the car. Urban legend states that he hides under your car and slashes out your feet "so you can't run away" (presumably he rapes you, or something). This usually happens at the mall during busy holiday seasons. Paranoia and fear over this actually reached a point where people (I'm talking [[AdultsAreUseless adults]] here) had to be escorted to their cars by police.

'''Examples:'''

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* In the {{Discworld}} novels, bogeymen are a species of creature which like to hide behind door or under beds, and can only be defeated by throwing a blanket over their heads.

* StephenKing did a short story called ''The Bogeyman'' about a grown-up tells his psychologist about the closet-dwelling entity which killed his children, one by one. (Or rather [[spoiler:what he ''thinks'' is his psychologist..]]) This trope is also visited in a subplot in King's novel ''{{Cujo}}''.

* TheSlenderManMythos

* StephenKing did a short story called ''The Bogeyman'' about a grown-up tells his psychologist about the closet-dwelling entity which killed his children, one by one. (Or rather [[spoiler:what he ''thinks'' is his psychologist..]]) This trope is also visited in a subplot in King's novel ''Cujo''.
** King seems to really like this trope; it also makes an appearance in ''The Langoliers'', where the titular monsters begin as a boogieman story but turn out to be very real.
** Also appears in ''Salem's Lot'', where the master vampire takes the appearence of one of the characters' childhood bogeyman.

->''Hush little baby, don't say a word\\
And never mind that noise you heard\\
It's just the beasts under your bed\\
In your closet, in your head.''
-->-- '''{{Metallica}}''', "Enter Sandman"

** Same with [[TheNightOfTheHunter Harry Powell]].

** Tooth Fairies are given a similiar treatment in ''HellboyII''. "I will show you why you once feared the dark."
** And again in {{Supernatural}}.

* The Shape, from the original ''{{Halloween}}'', is repeatedly compared to the boogieman, apparently unkillable, and deeply enigmatic. He also seems to particularly target teenagers who are [[DeathBySex transgressive against social norms]]. In a subversion of [[InfantImmortality this particular trope]], he doesn't show much if any interest in actual children.

** King seems to really like this trope; it also makes an appearance in ''The Langoliers''.

* Boggarts in the HarryPotter books like to hide under beds.

* The 80's ''TwilightZone'' revival did an episode with a "Shadow Man" who lived under a kid's bed when he wasn't out terrorizing the neighborhood. The kid's attempt to use this fact to his advantage [[spoiler: ended very very badly.]]

** As I remember, he did stand up to them at one point. But the kicker in that episode was that, when his drunken, a-hole father was bullying him, [[spoiler: the monsters killed the jerk]].
*** He also appeared in an AmazingStories episode wherein his Voodoo Babysitter called up similar beasties to ensure good behavior from him and his brother.

-->'''Sam:''' "I was 9 years old! He was supposed to say 'Don’t be afraid of the dark.'"
-->'''Dean:''' "Don’t be afraid of the dark? What are you kidding me, of course you should be afraid of the dark! You know what’s out there!"

* In the 90s sketch comedy show ''The State'', one cold opening sketch had a kid calling to his mom to check under his bed for monsters. When she looks, she's dragged under and eaten, then a monstrous hand comes out holding a dollar bill, which the kid takes, then calls for his dad.

* Calvin of ''CalvinAndHobbes'' often had to battle under-the-bed monsters; one of the comic's strip-collections was even titled "Something Under The Bed Is Drooling"

** [[FridgeLogic How would that happen?]] If you're stepping out of your car, you've just ran over him, and if you're walking in you're extremely likely to see him before he can do anything.
*** Note the example said "escort ''to'' their cars" and it is not really that hard to hide under a car (of course type matters) without being seen. Personal experience talking here. Don't ask.

* Boogeymen are detailed as evil fey visible only to children in the 3E {{Ravenloft}} supplement ''Dark Tales & Disturbing Legends''.

-->I am the one hiding under yours stairs

-->"Mommy there's a monster in my room."

* No mention of TheRealGhostbusters, where we had the Boogeyman AND the Grundel?! As if that's not enough, two Busters from different generations receive visits from them (Egon was tormented by the Boogeyman as a child, thus his impetus to study the paranormal; Kylie ''resisted'' the call of the Grundel, so he took her friend Jack instead.)
* There is an old Claymation show literally called ''BumpInTheNight'', ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin but more NightmareFuel and undead refrigerated turkeys.
** Don't you mean less NightmareFuel? That show was hilarious. The whole point of the show was that the monster under the bed was harmless unless you were a sweatsock.

* ''LittleFears''.

** This troper has read a DonaldDuck story with pretty much exactly the same plot, except it didn't take place in space but on an island where Scrooge mcDuck wanted to build a vacation center.

** This troper has read a Donald Duck story with pretty much exactly the same plot, exept it didn't take place in space but on an island where Scrooge mcDuck wanted to build a vacation center.