Make the Night a Safer Place

It's common for small children to be afraid of the dark. While they may not at first realize why they're scared at night, the installation of a night light can help them get back to sleep easily. As an additional bonus, a night light can help guide you through the room in the dark, which means fewer chances of stepping on noisy or sharp toys and a better chance of getting to your child right when they need you!

Selecting the Light

Purchasing a night light can be a family event, or you can do it spur-of-the-moment while running errands. Your child may choose a night light that matches his favorite baby blankets, or has a similar design to one of his baby blankets. If your child has been having significant trouble sleeping, you may want to give some thought to a themed set of night light "accessories", such as stuffed animals, pillows, or baby blankets, which will help him sleep.

If your child picks out the night light on his own, watch for other signs of growing self-sufficiency and independence, such as hiding beneath his baby blankets to 'protect' himself or leaving his room to turn on other lights. A night light helps your child recognize his room in the darkness, and will calm him when he wakes. Hiding beneath his baby blankets is a way of coping with the fear by shutting it out; when he's under the baby blankets, he's in a darkness of his own making, rather than the scary and all-consuming darkness outside.

Mobile Night Lights

One innovative idea is to purchase a camping flashlight rather than a regular night light. Having the light in his hand will give your child a sense of power over the unknown lurking in the dark. Camping flashlights often have a wall plug attachment for charging the battery, so you won't need to worry about continuously replacing batteries. One of these and a matching set of baby blankets will be all the ammunition your child needs to fight their fear of the dark.

With a flashlight, you're more likely to be woken by a wandering child with baby blankets in one hand and a light in the other, rather than the terrified screams or crying that commonly happens with children afraid of the dark. Additionally, finding baby blankets that match a night light cover, or a night light that's similar to baby blankets your child already likes, can help them accept the light as a new but welcome addition to their room.

The Urge to Destroy

You may want to look for specially crafted night lights designed to withstand toddler curiosity. Solid-bodied night lights, where only the light bulb comes out, can be found in numerous pleasant designs. Many of these can be coordinated with a set of baby blankets, to complete your child's system of protection against the scary night.

A night light will undoubtedly reduce the number of times you're woken by a scared child in the night. Supplying him with baby blankets under which to hide and a source of light to send away the darkness will only help both of you sleep through the night again. Remember, no matter how tough it gets, this is only a phase!