It's a common and natural phase in childhood to express fears at night that make bedtime difficult. From nightmares to fears of the dark or solitude, these common eventualities cause many a sleepless night and can cause regressive habits like boomeranging out of bed after lights out, and begging to sleep in the parents ' bed.
In some situations, the situation can be improved by simply making the bedroom atmosphere a positive one by placing posters, bedding, and other decor with characters or animals the kid loves in the bedroom. Having stuffed animals, blankets and other comforting objects to keep them company at night can help to relieve need for mom and dad at night. But some cases require a little more work.
These are some strategies to address these fears and get everyone a good night's sleep.
Problem: Can't fall asleep without company
This is a standard situation with small children around preschool age. The need for mommy or dad to stay with them until they go to sleep can stem from a few things. Night time fears can stem simply from seeing something that scares them on television or hearing something that upsets them from a buddy or sibling. Sources for night fears are plentiful, but helping your child get over this dependency can be easy.
Solution:
If your kid insists upon having you lie down with them to sleep indulge them, slowly distancing yourself till you are no longer needed. Start by lying down with them, then the next night sit at the head of the bed, moving down the bed. Eventually you can tell your child that you understand their fears but that you think they have the ability to handle facing their fear by themself tonight. You'll be by in 5 minutes to check on them. You will be stunned how speedily your little one will go to sleep when they're slowly weaned off this attention. Try surrounding your kid with positive things they love, such as themed bedding, toys, and providing a night light.
The issue: Afraid of the dark
Fear of the dark regularly occurs in little ones who are too little to comprehend object constancy and known that new things can't simply appear in the shadows where they were never before. This fear is very common, most frequently starting in two or three year olds but occasionally not till kindergarten. Fear of the dark is usually temporary but can endure later into life.
The solution:
If your youngster is crying out in the night about a fear of the dark there are some approaches to take. You can simply install a nightlight or leave the door open a crack to let in light from the hall. You can ensure they're surrounded by comforting objects like favourite toys and bedding. But if these are not enough to quell the fears, try giving tours of the bedroom. That can be done either with the lights on, or with a flash light to demonstrate that nothing frightening is coming out in the dark.
The problem: Sneaking out of bed after lights out
This is a standard issue with young children. You put your child down to bed and go through the whole bedtime routine, only to have them appear in the living room a couple of minutes later asserting they can't sleep.
The solution:
There are a couple of ways that you can approach this. First, make sure that your child is exhausted when bedtime comes round, not wired and prepared to play. Take care to make a relaxing environment for your kid for at least a half hour before their head hits the pillow. This'll help lessen the boomerang phenomenon. When you put your youngster to bed, sit near their bedroom door for a little while and when you see them inevitably appear, just give a simple 'back to bed' instruction. After several nights of this, they will likely stop making an attempt to get out of bed, knowing that you are there to send them right back.
The problem: Nightmares
Nightmares are incredibly common in children many going through a phase where nightmares are a regular event. This is totally natural and not often a thing to be worried about as a parent. While nightmares are upsetting and scary for a kid, there are some tools you can supply for them to cope with this phase independantly.
The solution:
If your little one cries out for you in the night or comes running into your bed crying of nightmares there are a couple of ways to handle it. The main thing is to discourage habits that can set bedtime behaviour way back. First, comfort your young one. Give them a giant hug and help them relax if upset. Try and get them back to bed, and guarantee to check on them in a few minutes to make sure they are ok.
If the nightmares are regular and frequently feature the same fear, try to work on that fear during the day. Listen to your kid and let them tell you all about it, then do everything you can to reassure them they're safe. Teach them to prepare some positive thoughts that will calm after an unpleasant dream, and put them into a positive mind-set to fall back asleep.
For most kids, these bedtime problems don't last, and with some strategic parenting can be only a blip in the radar, but for some the problems are far more serious. For persistent, abnormal, or unhealthy sleep issues see your doctor and seek further treatment.
In some situations, the situation can be improved by simply making the bedroom atmosphere a positive one by placing posters, bedding, and other decor with characters or animals the kid loves in the bedroom. Having stuffed animals, blankets and other comforting objects to keep them company at night can help to relieve need for mom and dad at night. But some cases require a little more work.
These are some strategies to address these fears and get everyone a good night's sleep.
Problem: Can't fall asleep without company
This is a standard situation with small children around preschool age. The need for mommy or dad to stay with them until they go to sleep can stem from a few things. Night time fears can stem simply from seeing something that scares them on television or hearing something that upsets them from a buddy or sibling. Sources for night fears are plentiful, but helping your child get over this dependency can be easy.
Solution:
If your kid insists upon having you lie down with them to sleep indulge them, slowly distancing yourself till you are no longer needed. Start by lying down with them, then the next night sit at the head of the bed, moving down the bed. Eventually you can tell your child that you understand their fears but that you think they have the ability to handle facing their fear by themself tonight. You'll be by in 5 minutes to check on them. You will be stunned how speedily your little one will go to sleep when they're slowly weaned off this attention. Try surrounding your kid with positive things they love, such as themed bedding, toys, and providing a night light.
The issue: Afraid of the dark
Fear of the dark regularly occurs in little ones who are too little to comprehend object constancy and known that new things can't simply appear in the shadows where they were never before. This fear is very common, most frequently starting in two or three year olds but occasionally not till kindergarten. Fear of the dark is usually temporary but can endure later into life.
The solution:
If your youngster is crying out in the night about a fear of the dark there are some approaches to take. You can simply install a nightlight or leave the door open a crack to let in light from the hall. You can ensure they're surrounded by comforting objects like favourite toys and bedding. But if these are not enough to quell the fears, try giving tours of the bedroom. That can be done either with the lights on, or with a flash light to demonstrate that nothing frightening is coming out in the dark.
The problem: Sneaking out of bed after lights out
This is a standard issue with young children. You put your child down to bed and go through the whole bedtime routine, only to have them appear in the living room a couple of minutes later asserting they can't sleep.
The solution:
There are a couple of ways that you can approach this. First, make sure that your child is exhausted when bedtime comes round, not wired and prepared to play. Take care to make a relaxing environment for your kid for at least a half hour before their head hits the pillow. This'll help lessen the boomerang phenomenon. When you put your youngster to bed, sit near their bedroom door for a little while and when you see them inevitably appear, just give a simple 'back to bed' instruction. After several nights of this, they will likely stop making an attempt to get out of bed, knowing that you are there to send them right back.
The problem: Nightmares
Nightmares are incredibly common in children many going through a phase where nightmares are a regular event. This is totally natural and not often a thing to be worried about as a parent. While nightmares are upsetting and scary for a kid, there are some tools you can supply for them to cope with this phase independantly.
The solution:
If your little one cries out for you in the night or comes running into your bed crying of nightmares there are a couple of ways to handle it. The main thing is to discourage habits that can set bedtime behaviour way back. First, comfort your young one. Give them a giant hug and help them relax if upset. Try and get them back to bed, and guarantee to check on them in a few minutes to make sure they are ok.
If the nightmares are regular and frequently feature the same fear, try to work on that fear during the day. Listen to your kid and let them tell you all about it, then do everything you can to reassure them they're safe. Teach them to prepare some positive thoughts that will calm after an unpleasant dream, and put them into a positive mind-set to fall back asleep.
For most kids, these bedtime problems don't last, and with some strategic parenting can be only a blip in the radar, but for some the problems are far more serious. For persistent, abnormal, or unhealthy sleep issues see your doctor and seek further treatment.
About the Author:
Pamela Noble writes articles on home decor and parenting topics for Boyho.net. You can find children's bedding and decorating ideas on the Boyho website.
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