What begins as a minor worry at night can quickly snowball into overwhelming anxiety, disrupting the entire family's sleep routine if not nipped in the bud. Young children who hear strange noises may tiptoe out of their rooms and slip into bed with parents where they find comfort, easily falling back into a nice, deep sleep. The next night it happens again, as imaginations run wild with little ones envisioning monsters lurking in the shadows or hiding in closets. Pretty soon a child's fear of the night grows into a huge problem that needs to be addressed so that everyone in the household can resume normal, healthy sleep patterns. Here are some tips and tricks for parents to try when their little ones develop anxiety after the darkness sets in.
Strategies For Children Afraid of Darkness
Have a toddler who suddenly develops an irrational fear of the dark? It happens in almost every household at some point during a child's developmental years. A serious case of bedtime nerves can seemingly come out of nowhere, but there are ways you can help a child quickly get through this phase. Reading kids' books about anxiety and fear can be a helpful strategy for little ones who are overwhelmed with jitters at night. Here are some Do's and Dont's that we have gathered based on opinions of parents who have encountered this same situation with their own little ones. Theses tipshave proven to be effective in helping children conquer being afraid of the dark.
- DO NOT allow your child into your bed to sleep at night. This is a slippery slope that quickly becomes a habit and disrupts the sleep pattern of both parents and children. It's an easy trap to fall into but only a temporary solution to the problem. The goal is for your children to feel secure in their own bedrooms, so permitting them so sleep in your room sends a signal that they are safer with you. Reading stories about staying in bed at night can be effective.
- DO provide adequate light at night in the bedroom, if that is a source of comfort for the child. Night-lights come with a lot of pretty cool features these days. Not only can they be set on a timer, but they can change colors and display patterns on the walls. You may also consider leaving a light on in closets, bathrooms and other places around a child's room.
- DO NOT feed your child sugary foods late in the day into early evening. High levels of sugar affect the neurotransmitters in a child's brain that are responsible for stabilizing mood. This can lead to increased levels of anxiety which is what you don't want your child experiencing at bedtime. Also, lots of kids experience a sugar rush so they have a burst of energy that interferes with falling asleep. Ensuring your little ones have eaten healthy, filling food during the daytime hours will help them fall asleep more easily at night.
- DO incorporate a source of white noise into a child's bedroom at night. The whir of a ceiling fan may do the trick. You can also find inexpensive sound machines with a variety of white noises to choose from, such as the sound of rain or ocean waves. White noise is extremely effective because all the sound frequencies are at an equal intensity. Therefore, the child's brain is not stimulated by a jolting noise. Also, white noise blocks out sounds from other parts of the house that may cause a child to be afraid.
- DO NOT dismiss a child's fear of the dark as irrational. An important step in helping a child overcome being afraid of the dark is validating their feelings. Kids need to feel like they are heard and understood. Also, by listening generously and patiently, you may get some insight into how to solve the problem. For instance, maybe there is a particular noise in the house that the child hears at night, like the heater or air conditioner, that they don't notice during daytime hours. A simple explanation of all the sounds a house makes may fix the problem.
- DO ensure your child is receiving adequate exercise during the day so that exhaustion sets in at bedtime. The longer that children linger in bed before falling asleep, the more likely fearful thoughts will creep into their minds. Consider adding some gentle yoga movement into the routine during the hours before bedtime, as these exercises will settle both the mind and body.
- DO NOT allow your children to look at their devices right before bedtime. Remove cell phones, ipads, laptops, and access to television at least an hour ahead of time. The blue light emitted from screens interferes with the body's production of melatonin and throw off a child's internal clock. Learning to use technology responsibly, especially during the evening, will help a child fall asleep more easily. When it's time to turn off the lights, a child's mind will still be in an overly active state and vulnerable to those scary thoughts.
- DO stick with a bedtime routine and do your best not to deviate from it. Children feel safe and secure with predictable schedules. Build in plenty of time between after school activities to give their bodies a chance to settle down. A warm shower or bath is beneficial followed by reading time.
More Helpful Tips for Kids