Sandman, the

derived from an old European tale, the Sandman is harmless enough in himself; the problem is that so many of his ilk are male (Santa Claus, Jack Frost) and small children are especially susceptible to the subliminal messages about maleness and femaleness in a world overrun with "he"s. If you're interested in establishing your own terms, consider Sandy Eyes, the sleep/sand fairy, sand sprinkler, the sleep genie.