The fear of sleeping alone usually starts at age 3 because at this stage the children already dream but can not differentiate what is dream and what is reality, becoming very frightened when they have a bad dream.
What can be done to help the child overcome the fear of sleeping alone is:
- Ask questions about the fear you feel and talk about it;
- Explain that it was only a bad dream and that it has passed;
- Leave a small light of presence in the room;
- Leave the bedroom door ajar so she does not feel alone;
- Put the child to sleep with a teddy bear or toy she likes;
- Do not let the child go to sleep crying because of fear.
A good tip is to stay with the child until he is calmer, saying that parents are always around and if necessary can protect her from any danger.
If the child fears "monsters", for example, what you can do is pick up an imaginary sword and have the monster go away, simply and quickly.
