S2E40 – When Kids Won’t Sleep Alone: Helping Anxious Children Reclaim Their Room

Apr 3, 2025

In this episode, I respond to Sunny from Australia, who shares her family’s ongoing bedtime struggle with her 6.5-year-old daughter—an intelligent, big-feeling child working through anxiety and night terrors. After a year of consistency that led to sleep deprivation and exhaustion, Sunny and her partner ultimately let their daughter sleep on a separate bed in their room. Now, they’re wondering how to help her transition back to her own bedroom.

I explain the underlying reasons why anxious kids resist sleeping alone and how control becomes their coping strategy. I also outline a gradual, child-centered approach to help Sunny’s daughter regain confidence and independence, emphasizing preparation, ownership, and choice. This episode is for any parent navigating bedtime challenges with a sensitive child—and seeking a compassionate, practical path forward.

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Common Play Therapy References:
Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.
VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press.
Landreth, G.L. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). Routledge.
Bratton, S. C., Landreth, G. L., Kellam, T., & Blackard, S. R. (2006). Child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) treatment manual: A 10-session filial therapy model for training parents. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Benedict, Helen. Themes in Play Therapy. Used with permission to Heartland Play Therapy Institute.

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