How to lay your child’s night-time fears to rest
Watching your son or daughter’s imagination develop and flourish is a delightful thing – but you might not find it quite so charming at bedtime. If, when your child is finally sleeping through the night, that same imagination throws a spanner in the works by dreaming up monsters, bogeymen and scary things under the bed, it can be very hard to convince them that there really is nothing going bump in the night.
It’s always terrible to see your child distressed, no matter how irrational their fear might be. And because every child’s nightmares are different, it can be hard to know how to calm and reassure them without having to keep getting up in the night, or turning the bedtime routine on its head.
The Sleep Foundation’s website has some very useful tips on how to help your child cope with being scared of the dark or sleeping alone, while still reinforcing the fact that they must remain in bed and conquer their fears. You can read their advice here https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/children-and-bedtime-fears-and-nightmares
One particularly important point to remember is that giving your child lots of attention when they’re scared, or in the build-up to bedtime, might be counter-productive. Instead of making a big deal about their fears, try telling them how proud you are when they’ve been brave and stayed in their own bed all night – this could help them change their focus and lose interest in making a fuss at bedtime.
Staying warm and cosy all night can help little ones to get a restful night’s sleep – and getting out of bed to hunt for the covers in the dark really can be scary! Tuck n’ Snug’s stay-on bedding has been hailed as a “must-have” by reviewers for those with wriggly children.