One of the most frequent fears in childhood is the fear of the dark. It usually appears in children approximately from the age of three and lasts until eight or nine years.
Fear in children, as in adults, is a stimulus that makes us alert to certain situations. Darkness brings up negative thoughts, scary characters in stories, fears of monsters, ghosts, ogres, loneliness ...
There are many children who do not like to sleep in total darkness. The fear of darkness appears at night, at the time of going to bed, when the child is alone in his room. It is a crucial moment for them.
Help them overcome the fear of the dark
The first thing we should do is suppress total darkness. It is best to leave a dim light, the hall light or the bathroom light on. There are special night lights for the children's room. Some are plugged in, others are placed on the wall and there are also laptops, which can be transported by the child in case he wants to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Then we have to create an environment in which the child feels safe. We can create a ritual before going to sleep in which we accompany them by reading them a story, making the room as comfortable as possible and decreasing external stimuli.
It is not advisable for children to watch TV before going to sleep or to play too disturbed. The hours before bedtime should be as relaxed as possible. Otherwise, the environment makes fears and anxieties more prone. Any image they could see on TV could alter them.
A good alternative to overcome the fear of the dark is to resort to children's books that talk about the subject, about the dark and the time to go to bed, and also play in the dark like playing with flashlights, shadows or find things.
The fears must be overcome so that they do not become phobias. To do this you have to normalize them and deal with them. The most common is that the child gradually lose the fear of the dark.
In about 3 percent of cases, fears become phobias. If you think your child has a disproportionate fear of darkness that, even taking action, persists, it is best to consult with a specialist.
