Is Your Child Too Scared to Fall Asleep?

When your child is too scared to fall asleep, it can be a major issue, because they either want  you to sleep in your bed or they are out of their bed ten times to get you. In both cases, your child is losing precious sleep time.

Here are some great ways to help your child feel more comfortable and face that fear!  And here is what to do when your child is too scared to fall asleep:

1.     Get fun lightbulbs.  They make colour-changing bulbs and night-light projectors that kids love!  Perhaps these things will make bedtime seem less scary, while they are watching characters dance on their walls?

2.     Let your child look inside of the closets themselves, but do it in a sneaky way… Try asking your child, “Can you check for any clothes that may have fallen down on the floor in your closet?”  This will have them looking inside of the closet, without realising what they are really doing: Reassuring themselves that the closets are free and  clear of any scary things before bed.

3.     Give them a light-up stuffed animal.  They make ones that play sounds and ones that just light up.  Either way, they will help your kiddo feel a little safer, when they are snuggling a light.  Try a Lavender teddy bear, too!

4.     Make ‘Bad Dream Spray’- a little water and lavender essential oils (lavender helps them fall asleep)  in a water bottle and you’ve got bad dream  spray.  Spray it around the room to keep bad dreams away.

5.     Talk to them about happy things before bed. Don’t even talk about the scary things.  When our kids seem scared, I’ll tell them, “Do NOT think about puppies, Disney World or swimming.”  It is like telling someone not to eat the cake… it only tempts you more!  They will have dreams of Mickey Mouse in no time.

6.     TELL them  story, rather than reading a picture book. Who knows how those seemingly innocuous pictures of bluey or the green sheep will land visually as they drift off? Often children like to hear the same story about ‘the day they were born’ or ‘when mummy and daddy met’, over and over each night.

7.     Add a fan or noise machine to the room.   It will drown out any creaks that the house makes in the night.

8.     Lay down with your child before bed.  This will reduce the stress that they have before bed.  Five minutes is going to make a huge difference…. just not too long!  If your child complains when you leave, start setting a timer so they can see how long you will be there.

9.     Hang up pictures near their bed.   Our son has pictures of our family, his best friends and his bike taped on the wall beside his bed.  He looks at it when he is drifting  off to sleep.

Hopefully this will only be a short phase.  Each of our five children have gone through this at one point or another, but they have each gotten over it with some reassuring words and patience.

Try to help your child fall asleep during this phase and remember that this, too, shall pass.