Decorate your room with things you like to see, and remove anything that has the potential to frighten you at night. 12 October 2017 Long story short I have anxiety. Count. This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. Sometimes it helps kids to know they're not the only ones who get scared. (For example, if your child says, "Turn on all the lights in the house so the robbers can't kill us" instead of "I'm scared of the dark.") If coming home to find that someone broke into your house is traumatizing, having it happen while you are home is everyone’s worst nightmare. So I bought him a nightlight and put it in a prominent plug in the room. Remember that you were once a child and likely had lots of silly fears too! If your puppy or rescue dog is afraid to go outside, it could be because … Get cozy. What do I do if I am a teenager, and I am scared? Cancel Missaaaa. Having a pet bed side or on your bed at night can be very comforting. For more tips from our co-author, including how to keep a good bedtime routine to help you fall asleep, read on! Read a book. For kids, feeling scared or worried at bedtime is one of the main reasons for having … Ensuring a Restful Environment Establish a bedtime ritual. But all of a sudden, she wants you to keep the lights on in her bedroom — or she wakes in the middle of the night and is afraid of falling back asleep on her own. Do empower your child. An example would be telling a story which ends with your child making friends with the … Get a flashlight and leave it under the bed. 4. You shouldn’t leave them in a big open space, as that can be even more frightening. If it goes well, it can … Here are the top 3 ways that kids who answered our survey try to help themselves feel better: 1. ", "Now I feel like there's nothing to be scared of unlike before. A night-light may be helpful for providing security at night even if your child is not afraid of the dark. If you start feeling scared, breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth, which will help you relax. If you need help, call for help. What if I see a few shadows at night? Thanks wikiHow! Do you think this helps? If you are thinking about real life things that are scary, like people you love dying, say, "I get worried at night, but that doesn't mean the night is dangerous.". Sleeping with a pet nearby may help you feel safe. What do I do? Nyctophobia is an extreme fear of night or darkness that can cause intense symptoms of anxiety and depression. When in the dark, your budgie won’t understand where he is and will become scared instead of enjoying a good night’s rest. Think of how you and the victims in the movie are different. If your child wakes up in the middle of the night and is afraid to fall back to sleep, reassure him or her that everything is okay and that his or her bedroom is safe. If you find your mind wandering, focus on counting your inhales and exhales. At this point in my life, a year and a half after losing my son and seven months after losing my daughter, I am scared to dream. Tell your child that if their fears bother them – they can squash their fears by looking under their bed. However, napping for a long period of time in the middle of the day can make you less able to fall asleep with ease when you go to bed at night. Even if I watch scary things in the morning, images from those movies or shows will come to my mind at night. Listen to calming music. 5 Things to Do If Someone Breaks in While You’re Home. This will keep you focused on the plot and/or subject, and not on your fear. You will likely need to have this conversation multiple times as the child develops his mental capacity for logic and reasoning. Then exhale, letting all the air out, for 5 counts. You can also leave your child's door open either partially or fully. However, if you want to use technology to distract yourself a few hours. I am having real issues with my soon to be 5 yr old daughter. Make a "to-do" list for tomorrow, make a list of all of the positive things about a day, or make a list of what you look forward to tomorrow. This advice helped me greatly in trying to dismiss these images. If you feel … But that night light didn’t do jack. When you stay up late, you wake up tired, not feeling refreshed and, by the middle of the day, craving a nap. The placement of this object nearby may help you. A fear becomes a phobia when it’s excessive, irrational, or impacts your … Don't put a big light, because that might disturb your sleep. Tell a story in your head. In the last few months, she has been scared going to sleep at night, and she sometimes wakes up at night scared as well, and can easily take an hour or two to get back to sleep. Any would-be robber will most likely be afraid of the dog, because nobody trusts any kind of dog. If you feel that you must nap mid-day because you're too zapped to keep going, try taking a "power nap" just before lunch. Sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder are especially likely to experience fear at night, nightmares, and sleep disorders. This phobia is also known as hypnophobia, clinophobia, sleep anxiety, or … Perfect article. ", "It really helped me, because now I don't feel scared at night! If your child is afraid of being alone, let him know that you'll check on him. Keeping the door open will help alleviate any fear associated with the separation from parents during the night. Having somebody or something with you (even stuffed animals) can help prevent feelings of fear and loneliness at night. Approved. Improper Socialization. Focus on being present and relaxed in your body, and notice every breath you take. This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. Some have nature sounds, some have soothing music. A night-light may also make your child feel more secure. Squeeze your pillows and pet your sheets. The evidence is mixed on the impact of using technology before bed on your sleep patterns. Here are some ideas: Mental Distractions We mentioned earlier that your mind can sabotage you when you have anxiety. Leaving the bedroom door ajar, playing an audio story or lullabies, and encouraging your child to sleep with a beloved toy or blanket may also help. It isn’t uncommon for toddlers to be afraid of the dark or afraid of monsters. Infants and toddlers need roughly three hours of naptime during the day, but napping interferes with the sleep of adults, teenagers, and older kids. This basically allows you to access a sense of tranquility and peace no matter what's going on around you. References What if I am scared of a scary movie that claims that it is a true story and it actually happened? This article has been viewed 183,137 times. If your dog doesn’t like his crate during the day, it’s probably one of the reasons listed above. Keep telling yourself it's not real. I feel like someone is going to rob me, what do I do? Others have sleep scripts as part of the app as well. A bath should be taken about 2 hours before you plan to sleep because of the time needed to first raise and then lower your body temperature to enable easier sleep. I always keep a teddy bear with me. Focus on your breath. Somniphobia causes extreme anxiety and fear around the thought of going to bed. You might be afraid of things you know are not real, or things you know are highly unlikely, such as burglars. Or, imagine a calm scene, like a beach, a treehouse, or a magical forest. A bath should be taken about 2 hours before bedtime because of the time needed to first raise and then lower body temperature. Do you avoid any particular places or activities at night? Start with your shoulders and, as you breathe, work your way down to your feet relaxing each muscle. I am kind of, "I love wikiHow, every time I have a question on how to sing, I always look for my answers here and I always find, "i have such a problem with nighttime anxiety and this article provided in-depth solutions to calming yourself and, "My 10-year-old son suffers from anxiety and fear of night and dark. When I try to sleep with my cat, he runs away. Also, do self-defense training to bolster your confidence and to reduce your fear; conquering too much fear can help liberate you to do more in life. Voila! Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. If you wake up from a nightmare, you might feel okay afterwards and just fall back asleep. I no longer. Your toddler never used to mind hitting the sack with the lights off. Bedtime Fears. 2 posts. This phobia is also known as hypnophobia, clinophobia, sleep anxiety, or … ", have to sleep with the bathroom light on. A wikiHow on how young dancers deal with stress would be helpful. Night lights and monster sweeps. Fingers crossed it helps. You might find the dark, or the sense of solitude, particularly frightening. Count forwards or backwards as long as you can to keep your mind focus on something other than your fear until you feel yourself dose off. Remind yourself that the TV show is only a work a fiction, and there is no real threat to you. Watch something funny to take your mind off it before you go to bed. I got angry last night… What should I do if I see something or think something scary, and then, when I close my eyes, I keep seeing it? To enhance the calming effects of a warm bath, try incorporating some essential oils or scents associated with relaxation. If your child has a sibling or even a pet, letting them bunk together can make nighttime fears vanish as suddenly as they appeared. Avoid the mid-day nap. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Repeat for several cycles until you feel more calm. Topic: Scared at night & I don't know what to do 5 posts, 0 answered Oldest first | Newest first. If the show is based off something real, remind yourself that the situation that happens there is extremely unlikely to happen to you. Instead, accept your child's fear and work with them to try to overcome it. It was made worse by multiple break ins at my previous house a year ago. Problem solved, I thought. As long as he/she is okay with it, that's perfectly fine. “Ask her if she wants daddy to check on her -- and let her decide what time makes her most secure,” Berman says. ", "This article really helped me! Inhale, or take a deep breath, for 5 counts. Research shows that the herb lavender can produce calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled. Skip the nap. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. It may not work the first night, but after a day or two, the routine is quite relaxing. "I am 12 and all I can say is this helped me get over my fears a lot, so thanks for helping! Initially you might have to do this with them – and that’s okay. % of people told us that this article helped them. If your dog is still a puppy, this is a great chance to properly crate train him. ", how to take steps towards overcoming your nighttime fears. Read: The Common 2 Year Old Sleep Regression: How To Overcome. 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