Every child sees their parents’ bed as the safest place in the whole house, which is why a lot of kids prefer to sleep with their parents when they are scared of the dark. It’s perfectly fine to let your child sleep on your bed once in a while when they’re scared, but if it happens frequently, it may be cumbersome for you and your spouse.
If you happen to live in Colorado, there are a few experts in family counseling in Broomfield who can offer to help you and your child adjust to sleeping in each other’s rooms. But if you’re not, then you could use some of the suggestions below to convince your child to sleep on their own bed:
Make their room more comfortable
One of the ways you can convince your child to sleep in their own bedroom is to make it more sleep-friendly for them. You can paint brighter colors on the walls and give them a lamp beside their bed for their night light. But the best way to make their room sleep-friendly is to ask them what they would like to have in their room.
Some kids like their rooms to be filled with toys because open spaces scare them when it’s dark. Others don’t like a lot of toys because they’re afraid that they might move on their own when night comes. Ask your child first what they want in their room so that they and you can figure out how to make their bedroom more comfortable for them.
Help them with the transition
Sudden changes may be difficult for your child, so if you want them to sleep in their own room, you have to do it in baby steps. Instead of forcing them to sleep on their own right away, you can sleep beside them and leave when they have fallen asleep. You can also lay down a mattress on your bedroom floor and ask your child to sleep there first. But no matter which option you choose, you should make sure that the transition continues to the point that they get to sleep alone in their own room; otherwise, they will get used to you sleeping by their side.
Don’t tell them not to be scared
It’s not helpful to tell a child to ignore their fears because it will only send them a message that you don’t care enough. Instead, tell them that you’re aware of their fears and that you were afraid of the dark, too, when you were a small kid.
Bedtime stories still work
Bedtime stories are more than just a way to make your child fall asleep. It’s also a way to show them how to face their fears by telling them stories about heroes and how those heroes conquered their fears.
By telling your kid stories about bravery, you’re helping them to be brave themselves. They can use this to conquer their fears of sleeping alone. Make sure that when you tell them a bedtime story, it is about a courageous hero whom she can relate to.
