What Do You Do When You Cant Sleep at a Sleepover?
Sleepovers are a fun and important part of most kids’ social lives. They allow kids to get away from home, have fun and learn valuable life skills like responsibility. But sometimes sleepovers can make kids nervous and feel overwhelmed. This is a common concern among children, but it doesn’t have to mean you have to put your child’s dreams on hold forever.
There are ways to help your child deal with their sleepover anxiety, so you can have a stress-free party! Here are a few tips:
Have your child practice sleeping at a sleepover with someone they trust before inviting them to a sleepover at their friend’s house. This will give your child a better understanding of how they may react to other people at a sleepover and how their feelings will be shared by the person who hosts the sleepover.
Start with a small sleepover and build up to bigger ones, as your child grows in confidence. It’s important to remember that your child’s motivation is key, so don’t let them give up if they have trouble getting the hang of it in the beginning.
Before the sleepover, talk with your child about what they’re looking forward to and what challenges they might encounter. Then come up with a plan to address those concerns.
If your child has trouble sleeping at a sleepover, bring ear plugs and practice using them before the party to be sure they’re comfortable with them. This will prevent them from waking up in the middle of the night, when their friends are talking too much.
Use imagination and create other scenarios that your child can visualize during the night to help them relax and fall asleep. Whether it’s a castle or the top of a hill, they’ll be more likely to go to bed when they have a visual image.
Pack a pillow and a stuffed animal to sleep with so they have something to snuggle up with in case they feel uncomfortable. Also, make sure they have a good book to read or a video game to watch.
Set up night lights around the house and in key areas, especially bathrooms. Not only will this make it easier to find their way in the dark, but it will also be a safety precaution if they wake up in the middle of the night.
Have them brush their teeth and do a bath before going to sleep. A bath will also help them relax and will make them more likely to fall asleep.
Be clear about the rules you’ve set for the sleepover and be specific about the expectations that you’ve placed on them. These could be as simple as waiting until a certain time before they can call you or ask to be picked up, says Michael Feder, a psychologist in the Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program at NYC Health.
Keep a record of the details of each sleepover to make it easy for you to get in touch with the parents if needed. You don’t want to have to run around the house trying to find their contact numbers, so keep a notebook or file with names and phone numbers of all the guests in a safe place.
