One of the common problems that parents face is a child who is unable to sleep alone.  The challenge is to figure out what is really the underlying reason for their inability to sleep.  Each child is unique so you need to figure out what are the real causes and proceed to remove them from your child’s sleeping routine.

Solution #1: Use kids night lights

Some child, especially the younger ones, are afraid of the dark. You can help to relief their fear by putting in some kids night lights.  Try to pick designs that look like insects or animals that your child prefers such as dinosaur or butterfly kids night lights. They will give additional comfort to the child so that their fear of the dark is reduced significantly.

Solution #2: Remove distractions from the room

Children are easily distracted, especially by toys or gadgets in the room. They will be thinking about playing them, thus reducing their ability to sleep. The simple solution is to remove them from the room so that it is free from these distractions.  You can leave soft toys in the bed if they need something to hold on to while they sleep.

Solution #3:  Establish a routine

Children are creatures of habits.  If you established a proper sleep routine and enforced it, the likelihood of your child being able to sleep will be higher. I have seen parents who have such inconsistent sleeping hours that they inevitably affect the child’s ability to have a good routine for sleeping. Is it any wonder that he or she will have problem sleeping at their designated time?

Solution #4: Use a small reward system

We mentioned using small reward systems to encourage good behavior.  You can apply such a system here as well so that the child has something to look forward to when going to sleep. The small rewards can be in the form of story telling, or his favorite breakfast or even more play time.

Solution 5:  Start slowly

A child might not be used to sleeping alone when he or she is young. You can start the process by first staying by his or her side during the first few days of him or her sleeping alone. During this phase, try not to sit on their bed or get too close to them. Just sit at a chair by their bed so that their physical dependence on you is reduced over time. After a few days of sleeping in their own bed, you can try to leave them alone.