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- 1). Discourage your kid's demands to sleep with you by giving her a gentle reminder that she is growing up. Stay calm if your kid starts crying or becomes angry. Take the child to her room and put her on the bed; repeat the action if she follows you until she learns to stay put on her own bed. Visit her room every five minutes and encourage her to sleep with soothing words; increase the timing to 10 minutes if she continues to be difficult. Continue increasing the time interval of your visits until she calms down and falls asleep.
- 2). Ask him why he doesn't want to sleep in his own room. Question him gently if he is afraid to sleep alone in the dark. Ask if his sleeping problems are because he thinks there are monsters in his room. Inquire if he wants to sleep with you just to be with you; probe deeper to know if sibling jealousy is the reason. If he craves more time with you, talk about how you two can spend more time together during the day.
- 3). Address your kid's need. Give her a big stuffed teddy bear or tiger as a sleep companion if she is afraid to sleep alone. Install a low-watt desk lamp nearby her bed to keep off darkness. Play a tape containing her favorite rhymes as she sleeps. Experiment with different options and use one that works for her.
- 4). Be tactful if jealousy for a younger sibling is preventing your kid from sleeping in his room alone. Take as much time as possible to spend with him so that he doesn't feel left out. Explain that his brother is younger than him and needs more care.
- 5). Make bedtime something to look forward to for your kid. Practice reward method. Reward her with a small toy or story for every two hours she spends on her bed. Treat her to a bigger reward if she continues to sleep in her bed for a week. As the bigger reward, make her favorite dish or visit a nearby park.
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