Toddler scared of the dark?

MissLMS

K has traditionally been a great sleeper. She rarely gets up at night.

A week ago we moved her from her toddler bed to a full size bed. She did great the first week and a half in the bed, was really excited about it, etc. She wasn't taking naps or anything in the toddler bed anymore, so we converted it back to a crib this week.

Starting two nights ago, she moans and cries all through the night. Last night, she got up at midnight and again at 2 a.m. and turns on the light to her room. I kept going in and turning it off (we have a switchplate cover that we taped over to keep her from turning the light on, but she just peels it off.)

Anyways, unless the light is on and she is awake, she cries. Finally last night, I just went to sleep. I could hear her playing in her room at 2 a.m., but I figured she'd go to sleep eventually. At 6 a.m. this morning, she was in her bed with the light still on.

This has never been a problem before. We've always put her to bed in the pitch black and she's been fine.

Does a fear of the dark start around now? Or could it be something else?

Temp206787500007404

Why not just get her a nightlight?

Payton cries if it's pitch black, she will only sleep with a nightlight and has since she was teeny.  I asked her pedi about it and he said babies/toddlers can absolutely be afraid of the dark and that it can come and go throughout childhood and having a nightlight doesn't typically disturb their sleep, but can give them enough light so that if they wake up they see their familiar room and can then put themselves back to sleep.

He recommended something that sits on a dresser or nightstand vs. a wall plug in light (which doesn't actually put out that much light).  He said those spinning ones are great, b/c they also act kind of like a mobile does for a tiny baby and helps put the kid to sleep.

amandabrooke81

Also I think night terrors are a developmental thing between 2-4 yrs?

 

We left the musical aquarium machine on Mason's bed rail {his crib converted to a toddler bed} and that way he's able to both turn on a nightlight and his nighttime music himself.

Also, it's possible that she's getting her 2-yr molars in as well---that can make her wake frequently. But if she's turning on the light herself, it sounds like there might be a fear of the dark.

SeasideBride06

Allie has been fine during the night in her room...but she does have a nightlight that plugs in the wall (mainly so I can see her during the night when I check on her.)

With that being said, she has started being scared of the dark at other times.  For example, she will get up at 6 am on the weekends and come lay with us in our bed.  Then she will jump up and say she wants to go play in her room, but when she walks in there she won't go in and keeps coming back to us saying, "it's dark"...and will NOT go in until we get up and turn her light on.  I am not sure where this came from, so I am guessing this is the right age for it.