Calming night terrors

Around the age of three, children often start having night terrors, and this may be due to their vivid imaginations and the difficulty they have with differentiating between reality and fantasy.

Hence the dragon under the bed or someone hiding in the wardrobe.

If your child has developed a good sleep routine, then you will be wanting to get back to that so here are a few ideas to support your child to conquer the night fright.

Have a night light, one that your child controls and gets to turn on before bed – this gives a bit of ownership and may ease their worries and give peace of mind.

Get your child to talk about what is worrying them at night. Acknowledge their fears and give them sympathy and understanding.

Find some books at the library or go online and read about how to tackle fears.

Read these stories to your children so they learn that the fears can be overcome.

Make sure your child has a ‘bedtime friend’, a soft toy, and encourage them to rely on their friend to keep them company during the night.

Turn off any electronic devices, including tablets, TVs, computer games for at least an hour before your child goes to sleep.