Helping Your Child Sleep Peacefully
Bedtime doesn’t have to be a battle—and the quiet hours don’t have to feel so long. Here’s how to help your child find calm when the lights go down.
What Are the Signs Your Child Has Sleep Problems?
Sleep struggles in children manifest as bedtime resistance (stalling, crying, leaving their room), nighttime disruptions (frequent waking, nightmares, night terrors), and daytime impact (fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating). Persistent sleep problems often signal underlying anxiety or routine issues.
Sleep challenges look different at every age. Here are patterns to watch for.
Bedtime Resistance
- Stalling tactics—one more story, one more drink, one more hug
- Becoming anxious or clingy as bedtime approaches
- Repeatedly leaving the bedroom after being tucked in
- Insisting a parent stay in the room until they fall asleep
Nighttime Fears
- Fear of the dark, monsters, or being alone
- Needing multiple nightlights or the door open
- Frequent nightmares or night terrors
- Waking up scared and unable to self-soothe
Disrupted Sleep Patterns
- Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- Waking multiple times during the night
- Early morning waking (before 5:30am)
- Difficulty staying asleep without a parent nearby
Daytime Impact
- Excessive tiredness, irritability, or mood swings during the day
- Difficulty concentrating at school
- Increased emotional outbursts or tantrums
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times
Remember: These signs are common and not necessarily cause for concern on their own. If sleep problems persist for more than a few weeks or significantly impact daily life, consider consulting your pediatrician.
How Can Parents Help a Child Who Struggles With Sleep?
A consistent bedtime routine is the single most effective sleep intervention for children. Combine this with a calming environment, limited screens before bed, emotional check-ins, and stories that signal safety. Most sleep challenges improve within two to four weeks of consistent routines.
Small changes to the bedtime routine can make a big difference. Here’s where to start.
Build a Predictable Wind-Down
Children’s brains need transition time between the stimulation of the day and the quiet of sleep. A consistent 20–30 minute routine—bath, pajamas, story, lights out—signals the body that sleep is coming. When your child’s nervous system knows what to expect, it can begin to relax before you even turn off the light.
Start the routine at the same time every night, even on weekends. Consistency is more powerful than any single technique.
Make the Bedroom a Safe Place
For children with nighttime fears, the bedroom can feel threatening once the lights go out. Help your child take ownership of their space during the day so it feels familiar and safe at night. A comfort object, a favorite poster, or a small nightlight they picked out themselves can make the room feel like theirs.
Let your child choose a ‘brave buddy’—a stuffed animal or comfort object—that stays in bed and ‘watches over’ them. Name it together.
Validate the Fear, Then Build Courage
Saying ‘there’s nothing to be scared of’ dismisses what your child is feeling. Instead, acknowledge the fear and then gently guide them toward managing it. When children feel heard, they’re more willing to try brave things—including facing the dark.
Try: ‘I can see the dark feels scary right now. Let’s think about what brave thing your stuffed bear would do.’ This moves from fear to problem-solving.
Use Stories as a Bridge to Calm
A calming story at bedtime does more than distract—it gives your child’s mind a safe place to go as they drift off. When the story features characters who face similar fears, it normalizes the experience and shows your child they’re not alone in how they feel.
Choose stories where the character feels scared but finds their way through it. Your child learns that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s what happens next.
Why Bedtime Stories Are the Perfect Sleep Tool
There’s a reason bedtime stories have existed for thousands of years. The rhythmic cadence of a story, read in a calm voice by someone who loves you, is one of the most powerful sleep cues the human brain recognizes.
When that story also features a character who looks like your child, lives in a world like theirs, and faces the same nighttime fears—something deeper happens. Your child sees themselves being brave, and that image stays with them as they close their eyes.
of pediatricians recommend reading before bed
average time for a calming story to reduce bedtime anxiety
personalized chapters in each HeroMe story arc
What Makes HeroMe Different
Personalized to Your Child
Each story stars your child’s favorite comfort objects, pets, and people—making the safe sleep environment in the story feel like their own bedroom.
Therapeutic Calm-Down Techniques Woven In
Characters model deep breathing, body scanning, and positive self-talk as they settle into sleep—techniques your child absorbs naturally through the narrative.
A 12-Chapter Journey to Better Sleep
Each chapter builds on the last, gradually helping your child develop their own internal sense of safety at bedtime.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from parents about children and sleep.
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