Classic Halloween TV Movie: “Don’t Go to Sleep”

It's that time of year again.I always feel some pull to do at least one Halloween post in the spirit of the season, and thankfully there were a rich supply of vintage made-for-TV horror and suspense films to debut in the Comfort TV era. The hardest part is choosing which to highlight. This year let’s look at “Don’t Go to Sleep” from 1982 – or best not to look if you’re easily unsettled. This one will scare you, right up to a final scene that is pure nightmare fuel.Dennis Weaver and Valerie Harper star as Philip and Laura, married with two kids, Mary and Kevin, who as the movie opens are relocating to Laura’s childhood home to be closer to her ailing mother (Ruth Gordon). Philip isn’t happy about the move, but there are deeper tensions within the family, dating back to a car accident that claimed the life of their eldest daughter, Jennifer.One night soon after Mary thinks she hears a voice coming from under her bed, which is mysteriously set on fire. She later confirms, first to her…