 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Info sheet:Night Time Fears
Night-time fears are fairly common for children who have been sexually abused. These fears can affect not only the child, but the whole family. Fears can cause children to have trouble with:
 |
getting to sleep at night |
|
|
staying in their own bed |
|
|
waking up throughout the night |
|
|
nightmares |
Night-time fears can be very real to children. Many children have vivid imaginations and this often fuels the fears.
What parents can do
It is important for parents to reassure their child that they are safe. When children have been sexually abused they often lose their sense of safety and it takes time for them regain this.
Recognise that their fear is real. Talking about the fear can be helpful. Give the fear a name. At Rosebank we sometimes call the fear “NightFears”. Some children and families have come up with their own name like “The Fear Monster”. Children and families can then work together to beat the NightFears.
Ask them questions about the NightFears to find out about them. Some useful questions might be:
· When are the NightFears around?
· How long have they been bothering them?
· Who are NightFears’ friends? (Children may say the dark, being alone, funny noises, scary thoughts..)
When you have found out more about the fears, try and come up with some ideas with your child to beat the NightFears. Some ideas other families have come up with include:
|
|
Leaving the bedroom door open |
|
|
Putting a night light on |
|
|
Reading a soothing story to their child in their bedroom or doing some relaxation (Ask us about some good books for this, or have a look on the book list). |
|
|
Helping their child come up with a safe scene to think about when the NightFears are bothering them. This could be a happy memory, a person, a place they like to go... |
|
|
Keeping to a routine at night. Having dinner and bath times at the same time each night, winding down in the evening. Being aware of what they may be watching on TV, as this can sometimes feed the NightFears. |
|
|
Making a plan with their child to check on them until they are asleep |
|
|
Letting their child know that lots of kids have trouble with NightFears sometimes. Some parents have had their own trouble with NightFears as children and have let their child know how they overcame the fear. |
|
|
At Rosebank we often find that children come up with the best ideas to beat their NightFears. They can be really creative and have fun ideas. Working with your child to beat the fears lets them know that they don’t have to be scared by themselves and that they can overcome fears and worries. |
If you would like to find out more about how to help your child with fears at night time, ask us about it. We can also work with you and your child as a team to defeat the fears!