Does your child see monster crawling up his bed as soon as you switch off the lights of his/her room for sleeping? Well, this is the most common problem that children face and this has been going on since ages. Going behind the psychology, insecurity and sleeping alone is the root cause of this scare from the dark.

Most of the parents have a set bedtime for their children. In a way that having a bedtime is good that your child gets used to a schedule. However, at times when children might not be sleepy at their bedtime and you will try to put them to sleep forcefully; they might start imagining things up.

Here are some few tips that you can use to solve bedtime problems when children are afraid of the dark:

• When you have a set bedtime for your children make sure that you start preparing them to sleep half an hour before the time.

• Give your child/children a warm water bath, put them into comfortable clothes, make it of their favorite color, play with them and talk to them.

• When you enter your child’s room to tuck him/her in bed then make sure that you have a dim light on and not the main light. This would make your child accustomed to less light.

• Read your child a good story preferably not adventurous. Make it something homely and sweet. Keep in mind that whatever you read out to your child he/she would sleep with the same thing on his/her mind.

• Make sure that you speak to your child about his or her fears. Make your children feel secured that you are around to take care and protect them.

• Have a glass of water placed on your child’s nightstand so that if they are thirsty they can have it.

• Keep in mind never to lock your child’s bedroom door, however, if you have to do so then keep it half closed.

• Preferably have a night lamp on so that there is some kind of light in the room. Also, never leave the hallway lights off. Have dim light on in the night.

• If your child keeps talking about his scare for the dark then you can cuddle them and move out of the room only when you are sure that they are in deep sleep.

• Before you go to bed yourself visit your child’s room once to make sure everything is fine.

• If your child comes up to your room in the middle of the night out of scare then listen to what he/she has to say and make them understand.

Having patience to deal with this situation is essential, and also knowing your child’s psychology is important. You know what is scaring your child is not for real and you have to make them understand the same in your own sweet way. Talking to your children and having patience with dealing with them can help you deal with problems when children are afraid of the dark.

Jonathan Pitts

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