I dont sleep alone
Be careful not to spend much time during the period of reassurance. Begin by briefly checking and reassuring in 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, then 20 minutes until your child is asleep. If your child is anxious about being left alone, let them know you will check on them periodically. It is not recommended that this happen too often, or even two nights consecutively, as your child may come to depend on your presence. If your child is extremely frightened and you believe they cannot tolerate being in their room alone, it is OK to occasionally stay by their bed until they fall asleep.It is better to join children in their room to provide comfort than to let them leave their bedroom. If children are allowed to get up from bed and come into your room or into the room with other family members that are awake, they may learn that their room is not a safe place. If able to stay in bed and experience that everything is OK, he / she will learn to trust the bed is a safe place. The goal is to help your child overcome fears. Don't encourage your child to get out of the bed.We will make sure that nothing bothers you so that you can sleep comfortably in your own bed all night." We are here to make sure that you are safe. Reassurance can be provided by making statements that communicate the safety of your child. If your child has a difficult time separating from you after being tucked in for the night, or if she / he calls out in fear soon after bedtime, go back and ask what is wrong.Depending on the age of your child and how well he / she is able to talk about fears, you may want to give your child the option of telling you about the fearful experiences and what might help him / her to feel less frightened at night. If he / she feels confident during the day, this will help with security at night as well.
It is important for your child to have daytime experiences that serve to build self-confidence.
It is not uncommon for younger children to have difficulty telling the difference between what is real and what is imaginary. The nature of children's fear is different throughout development. However, don't force your child to talk about the fear if he / she is not ready. Give your child a chance to tell you what makes him / her scared at bedtime. It is important to understand your child's fears.If a fear of the dark or going to bed is preventing your child from falling asleep or sleeping through the night, you may consider some of the following recommendations to help reduce your child's fear during the night and help him / her to get better sleep. Most children experience nighttime fears at some point during childhood. It is normal for young children to have fears of the dark and going to bed at night.