How to Help Kids Who Worry They Will Never Fall Asleep “But what if I don’t fall asleep?” That’s a question many of us hear from our anxious kids at bedtime. The ironic thing is, the more a child worries they won’t fall asleep, the harder it actually is to do it! So how do you get your kids out of this vicious loop? […]
Anxiety loves to bother kids at bedtime. No matter what age or what type of anxiety a child has, bedtime is universally a struggle for anxious kids. Why is that? It is quiet. It is dark. All activities and distractions are turned off. Minds want to review the day. Ears want to analyze strange sounds. Eyes want to figure out mysterious shadows. Hearts want to be “kept safe.” When your child is scared to sleep, it impacts the whole family. Anxious kids don’t get a fitful rest. Parents don’t get a fitful rest – and the mood and irritability is set for destruction the next day.
It’s bedtime and instead of winding down, your house is winding up. “I’m scared,” you hear. “I’m too scared to sleep!” You hear over and over again. Your child pleads. Can they sleep with you? Can you sleep with them? Can they sleep on the couch next to you? You’ve tried everything. Threatening, negotiating, sympathizing…nothing works. Are you doomed to a life of sleepless nights or can this be fixed?
It’s bedtime. You are arming yourself for battle. You muster up all your energy. It’s going to be a long night. You are already running on fumes from the frequent interruptions in your sleep the night before. How long can you function like this? What on earth can make a child so afraid to sleep? Especially a child who has experienced nothing but security and stability?
Is your child scared of sleeping? You’ve been up since 5am. You think, only 30 more minutes and then it will be my time. You give your child a bath, read them a bedtime story and give them a kiss good night. And then…the nightmare begins and so begins the nighttime fears. When your child is scared of sleeping – there is no sleeping. I am […]
Bedtime arrives and so do bedtime battles. Your child kicks into high gear. Instead of winding down – they are winding up. Gearing up for bedtime battles. They come out of their bedroom repeatedly. They need to pee. They need to get a drink (so they can pee some more)! They need one extra hug. They need you to fix their blanket. Sound familiar? Bedtime […]
Sleep issues are the most common toddler problem I see in my child therapy practice. Toddler sleep can be an ongoing issue because they just won’t sleep! They fight going to sleep, they fight staying asleep and they don’t get enough sleep. It also seems like they instinctually know that we, as parents are the most vulnerable when they threaten our own sleep! This article […]
Fear of the dark is a common and typical fear for most children. Fear of the dark usually starts to crop up in toddlerhood. When children’s cognitive abilities expand – so does their imagination! For some kids, this fear never goes away. Some kids are more seriously affected by their fear of the dark. Children who tend to have an anxious personality can be more debilitated by […]
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