Are toddlers scared of the dark? My 18 month old sleeps alone in his room. Should I be leaving the light on?

A sudden fear of the dark is very common among two to four-year-olds. It’s no wonder, really. That’s just the time when their imaginations are working overtime playing fantasy games with dinosaurs, monsters and dragons, and it can be hard for them to separate these fantasies from reality. They’re also learning about the real, potentially frightening things in life like spiders, burglars - or the terrifying prospect of being on your own without mum nearby. And because there are fewer distractions at night to keep their suggestive minds occupied, their fears can run wild. Be reassured that it’s a phase they pass through, although it can disrupt their sleep (and yours) for a few weeks or months in the meantime. Here’s how to do deal with it: Don’t dismiss your child’s fears as ridiculous (even if they are) or belittle them. Listen to them, take them seriously and say things like ‘yes, I see you’re scared’. Try not to say things like ‘you’d better be good or the bogeyman will get you’, even as a joke. With older ones, try to find out exactly what it is about the dark that frightens them by asking open questions such as ‘why is the dark scary?’, ‘what do you think could be there when we turn out the lights?’ Getting them to voice their fears will help them face them, and help you come up with solutions. Reassure them that you’re there to help them. Keep repeating that there is no such thing as monsters in real life, so they can’t be under the bed. Turn on the light and show them if necessary. But don’t give the fear too much credibility by saying ‘ok, I’ll scare away the radiator monster for you’. If it helps them, leave a light on outside the room and/or have a nightlight in their bedroom (although this doesn’t help all children as it tends to throw out shadows). Have a calming bedtime routine every night involving bath, stories and cuddles. Avoid cartoons and any even vaguely threatening TV programmes at least an hour before bed. Also avoid scary books with monsters or dragons at bedtime. Some children are helped by a soothing audio book after lights-out. Promise them you’ll to come and check on them in 20 minutes and again when you go to bed later on. Try not to let your little one come into your bed to sleep as it doesn’t help them deal with their fears. Gently bring them back to their bed, and keep reassuring them. If bed-hopping is already a problem, you could use a sticker chart – they get a sticker if they manage to stay in their bed for the whole night, with a prize after a week.

Totally agree with Reine. At this age, your toddler possibly is still not aware to the idea of fear. To add to her suggestions, you may observe your toddler's sleeping behaviour first. If you see something wrong or if he/she is anxious during nighttime, instead of putting a night light, try getting him/her pet fish in an aquarium with dim lights at night. This is because it could be a possibility that your child is not afraid of the dark rather afraid or anxious to be alone in his room. Getting him a companion such as pets (it can be a dog, too) will help them feel not so alone in the room. If you will get a pet fish in an aquarium, place it in the area not too close to his bed so the light from the aquarium wont disturb his/her sleep. This is because according to research, exposure to light during nighttime decreases the secretion of melatonin--hormone that promotes sleep. Hence, exposure to night time light can decrease the quality and duration of your child's sleep.

Toddlers don't generally experience this kind of night time anxiety until they are about 2-3 years old. Your toddler probably won't even understand the concept of fear yet, or be able to imagine scary things lurking in the dark. In this case, he will sleep better in a dark room. I feel that it will be better not to introduce using a night light as it will be hard to kick off the habit. My son doesn't use a night light and he have been sleeping fine in the dark since he is born. If your toddler is really afraid of the dark, use one that provides enough light for comfort but doesn't illuminate the room too much.

Fear is a emotion which is developed with conscience and maturity. Though toddlers are not aware of it, they gradually develop it over time. Sleeping alone develops individuality and inculcating that at early stage is very important. Leaving light in is not an option; not even economically. The kid should know the difference between day and night. Not just adults, kids and babies too have dreams; and few could be bad which might wake up us up in mud of night. The room should be dark, but you can still choose for dim bed bulb that throws some light when u open your eyes in the night.

Fear, to me, is a social construct. If a child isn't exposed to elements of the fear of darkness (like scary stories about what creeps around in the dark), then he or she will most likely not even feel fear. At a toddler's age, reckon he is unlikely to be exposed to such elements yet, his imagination will probably be piqued at an older age e.g. 4-5 (when he is in school, interacting with friends, comprehending movies etc). That being said, agree with the other parents -- iyou can get a night light to alleviate your child's fears, if any. If not, then just leave it be.

It's difficult to say if toddlers are scared of dark or not. At their age, they probably do not even know what fear is. However, it is quite understandable that you, as a parent, are worried for your child's safety. If you want to feel more assured and relaxed, a good idea would be to leave maybe a dim light on in your child's room. That should be enough. Bright light can interfere with your child's sleeping patterns and may even prove to be a distraction.

Leaving the light on is distracting and affects his day/night rhythm as we associate light with day and darkness with night. If your toddler is very afraid, try a night light instead of leaving the main light on. A night light glows softly and is not glaring. You can purchase cute ones off Qoo10, or get this one from Philips Avent. http://www.philips.com.sg/c-p/717653286/disney-sensor-night-light

i have this issue with my first kid. We off all the lights when we sleep last time, childcare he is not able to nap due to abit of light beaming into the area where they nap . so after that i on the toilet lights in order to let him get use to not so dark area. now , he is too afraid of dark ! sometimes i really scratch head dont know what to do

You can have a night light in the room so it will not be very dark. But it is preferable that the main light is turned off to avoid distructions when going to sleep.

My boys are okay in the dark. They know that once its dark its time to sleep. You can leave a night light on if thats what would ease him and let him sleep.