How to Tackle Anxiety When It’s Causing Sleep Problems in Children

Making Bedtime Easier

Talking about anxiety is essential, but it can also help to make some changes to your child’s bedroom and bedtime routine to create a safer, more comfortable space for sleep. Using a few tricks like this to make bedtime less anxious can be very effective against sleep disorders in children.

• Using a nightlight or leaving a light on outside the bedroom can be very reassuring. You could also try giving your child a torch (which can be more fun than a bedside lamp) or putting glow in the dark stars up on the roof.
• Sometimes it’s the silence at night that children find worrying, rather than the darkness. Leaving on a radio could help, but make sure it’s playing relaxing music or a soothing audio book at a low volume.
• Having a favourite toy or comfort blanket can make a big difference, especially when your child wakes up at night. Making up a story about how brave their teddy is and how it will protect them at night can make it even more effective.
• Checking for monsters under the bed or scaring them away together can play a part in your bedtime routine. Although you don’t want to reinforce the idea that there are monsters there, turning it into a game and laughing about it can make them seem less real or scary.