Goodbye to Bedtime Fears
Parents’ Guide
The Challenge of Putting a Frightened Child to Bed
Sherry Henig, Ph.D.
Brenner Publishing, LLC
Plainview, New York
Goodbye to Bedtime Fears Parents’ Guide
The Challenge of Putting a Frightened Child to Bed
Copyright Sherry Henig, Ph.D. 2012
Published by Brenner Publishing, LLC at Smashwords
This publication is designed to provide information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is written with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering psychological services. If expert assistance is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Brenner Publishing, LLC
516-433-0804
www.BrennerPublishing.com
www.SherryHenig.com
The Bedtime Experience
Bedtime can provide some of the sweetest of moments for you and your child. Confiding the highlights of the day, reading favorite books and sharing cuddles and kisses can all make for a very special time.
But bedtime can also be the source of some of the most upsetting interactions for you and your child. She may resist having her day come to an end. Having to stop playing and put away her toys, or stop being entertained by the television or the computer, or stop spending time with Mom or Dad is not appealing. Therefore, your child may fuss when she is told to prepare for bedtime. The fuss can easily turn into a battle. And the bedtime can drag on for minutes, if not hours, resulting in everyone behaving angrily towards one another and everyone feeling tired and grouchy the next day.
Sleep Problems in Children
If you and your child are having bedtime stress, you’re not alone. Indeed, sleep problems are so common in young children that they actually have a formal diagnosis: “behavioral insomnia of childhood,” or BIC for short. There are three types of BIC, and their technical terms are sleep-onset association type, limit-setting type, and combined type.
The sleep-onset association type is when a child’s bedtime struggles and middle of the night struggles occur because she wants a specific item (like a favorite stuffed animal) or person (usually her parent) with whom to fall asleep.