Why an eight year old girl would be afraid to go to bed by herself ?

Question

she ' s never been able to go to bed on her own. She says that he has night mares. when sha was a little younger she would get up at night cryingand running to moms bedroom.

Answer 1

i would shake and quake in my bed even when I was 16 because I had such an over active imagination that I would imagine robbers hiding under my bed or in the living room ...

When I was younger the robber would be a monster or little demons ...

Its normal ... especially if she has an over active imagination ... Its not a bad thing if she does ... she will be creative and it will lead her to succeed in a career in her future ... for now it may be a pain in the butt but get her to focus on something else ...

What worked for me was that if I had a thought that someone was ready to attack me I would imagine that I was some super hero or that I had a secret power to help me defeat whatever was there ... It really worked I would tire my mind out and fall asleep ~

Good luck~  

Answer 2

Does she have a night light in her room? Sometimes that would help me sleep better.

Answer 3

i didnt stop sleeping with my parents till i was 11 and wow now that im a parent i feel like an as just knowing what i put my parents through with no privacy but take her to go get a sleep study done.. she is probably letting her i magination run wild or just too cautious. i started sleeping by my self when my dad put burglar bars on the windows and one of those big steel doors on the front door and then i felt safe every night i would check that everything was locked though. later onlife i find out that i have a chemical in balance and i need meds for this not expensive but i found out through the sleep study

Answer 4

I was always afraid at night as a kid, too.  It wasn't uncommon for me to wake my mom up in the middle of the night because I had a nightmare.  I still distinctly remember some of my childhood nightmares and they come back to haunt me once in a while.  I couldn't (and still can't) sleep if closet doors were open, but I liked to have my bedroom door open so that I could hear my parents talking and moving around when I went to sleep so that I could be reminded that I was not alone.  I liked to have the radio on low playing quiet music (soft rock type stuff that relaxed me).

I, too, disliked nightlights.  They just gave me the creeps giving off that eerie glow...My parents installed a dimmer switch in my bedroom and let me go to bed with the lights on low for a while, then I started sleeping with a small lamp on.  

Others have suggested letting her sleep with stuffed animals, which helped me also.  I liked to be tucked in tight with stuffed animals and pillows tucked around me so I didn't feel alone.  If you have pets, letting a cat or dog sleep in her room with her might help, also.

When I was in college, my roommate always slept with the TV on and I actually loved that - light and soft sound.  Even now when my husband is away and I have to go to bed alone I like to have the TV on while I sleep.  

Try suggesting some of these things (or others' great ideas) to her and see what she thinks might help.  Maybe suggest a week of bedtime experiments to see what works.

Good luck!

Answer 5

get a night light(bright enough to not make scary shadows-dark enough to sleep with), leave the bedroom door open and the bathroom light on, dont allow scary tv or movies that will give her any ideas, dotn eat chocolate, icecream or various sweets right before bed!, find the source of what she is afraid of..monsters under the bed, in the closet etc...and deal with it, by checking it(with her!!) make sure SHE sees herself that there are no monsters!

Answer 6

I had an issue like this when I was younger too. Give her a stuffed animal to sleep with and tell her that if anything happens this bear will protect her. Also this is probaly normal. Let her put on the T.V at night and leave the hallway light on until she falls alseep. If she wakes up running into your room, go lay in her bed with her and stroke her hair. It seems like she just have an overactive imagination. Just tell her that everything is ohkay.  

Answer 7

Well first determine if there's a problem.  

- How far away is her bedroom?  Can she swap with a sibling who is closer?  Some kids sleep better when they know they're close to mom and dad.

- Is she tired at night?  No sugary snacks for bedtime snacks.  Top off her snack with warm milk.

- Is she stressed about something?  Does she have something on her mind?  See if she needs to talk to you about anything.

Or, some kids, once you let'em in your bed, they just wont go back!  If you've always let her come into your bed when she says she's scared, you're in a pickle.  You can either stick this out until she outgrows it (she will), or put your foot down.  This doesn't have to be traumatic or the end of sleepovers in your room.  That won't relieve any anxiety!  Tell her sleepovers are for weekends and school nights everyone gets a good night's sleep in their own bed.  It gives you both space, gets her in a healthy habit of sleeping in her own room, and gives her something to look forward to on weekends.

Answer 8

I'm 30 and still afraid of the dark. Let her sleep with your door open and her door open or let her sleep with you. I have to have all the closet doors closed. lol. and the tv on in my room.

Answer 9

It's perfectly normal.  

I'm 15 and still sometimes creep myself out by thinking of scary stuff and have to quickly turn on the lights.

I was like...10ish before I got over having to run to my parents room in the middle of the night

You should make her go to bed when you are still awake, that way she's less likely to be scared if she hears people still awake.

Also, she could leave her bedroom door open and the hall light on maybe?