Covering Face While Falling Asleep

My son started doing that at age 3 and still does it now and he is 5. I'd say it is normal :) For my son, it started out that he was afraid, now I think it just helps him settle his mind enough to fall asleep.

Are you my mom? LOL

I started doing this at a very young age, and continued needed the covers up over my head to sleep well into my 20s. I was never sure why, I just felt more secure that way so I could relax and fall asleep. It never harmed me in any way, just helped me sleep better. If she is still getting plenty of sleep, and is not having other fear responses (whimpering), or bad dreams, then I would let it be and let her sleep however she feels the safest. (I still have to close my closet door) :)

I'm guessing it's a phase. My daughter, who turned two in June, has recently started being wary of the dark. Does she have a nighlight that allows her to see that nobody is coming in? Music she can listen to that will occupy her mind? A favorite stuffed animal? Just tossing out ideas. The other thing to consider is if this is actually a problem. If she's only awake for 20 minutes and not upset, then maybe it's okay to let her work through it on her own. I know with my 2 year old, the more attention we give something, the more it becomes a problem. :)

i have an almost 3 year old who is afraid of TONS of things...we live in an apartment and any noise she hears from people outside her bedroom window...or the neighbors scare her...She is also afraid of monsters in the closet, under her bed and every shadow on the walls. It's a phase...a completely normal, developmentally appropriate phase. Children around 2 1/2 begin to become aware of possibilities, their imaginations are blossoming and along with the new ability to play "make-believe" comes the realization that bad things can happen to. The fears are very real to our little ones...you might offer her a night-light in her room. We are a religious family and have put a picture of Christ in her room where she can see it and tell her that she can pray, sing a song, or call to us when she is scared.

Please don't perpetuate or create new fears by telling her you "wouldn't let anyone get in". When she said someone was going to get her, her perception may have been totally different from yours. That person in her head to "get her" may have been you:) Things will not stay the same as she develops, staying awake 20 minutes while she self soothes herself to sleep is not bad in any way and is still a reasonable bedtime routine.

It is very very common!

My daughter is almost 8, and she is very afraid of the dark and being alone. I always thought it was because we left hall lights on for her or nightlights. So, when my son was born, we started from the very beginning with a dark room and the door shut. He loved it that way and we even had to put on blackout curtains in the summer. At about 2 & 1/2 years old, one night he started crying that he was scared and wanted the door left open. It very quickly became a need for light as well. Now, at 3, he insists that the door be open, the hall light left on, and he has to come peek out every once and a while to assure himself that someone is nearby.

At about 2 & 1/2 years, their imagination starts to kick in full force. You will notice this in her play as well. With that imagination comes new fears (including some totally irrational fears). If you try to assure her that she has nothing to be afraid of, she will draw the conclusion that you just don't understand. She is unable to just trust you to protect her from everything like she used to. The best way to handle the fears is to acknowledge them and compromise on a solution that makes her feel safe.

J.,

This sounds like a phase. Does she go to preschool/daycare? What has she seen/heard there since this started?

I'd suggest giving her a "bad guy spray", also known as a spray bottle filled with water. That way if something scary comes into her room she can spray it away.

Otherwise I'd just let her cover up to hide and keep loving on her and reassuring her that she's safe.

Good Luck!
Melissa

My son discovered fear around that same age. In his case, it was triggered by a fire alarm test at school followed by seeing all his other classmates crying. Whether or not something specific triggered it, this is a prime age to discover fears. As they grow, so do their imaginations. Instead of telling her "mommy and daddy would never let anyone come in", you might try asking her who is going to get her (assuming you haven't done that already). You might let her pick out a special stuffed animal to help "keep her safe" while she sleeps. She won't need it forever. My son is 5 and still has a special animal, but it has changed several times when he has recieved new ones as gifts. I don't see anything wrong with it, and it will probably help her feel safe. She will give it up when she no longer needs it.

I don't have too much to say, but I do have two friends whose kids each fall asleep with a blanket on their faces and have been doing it since they wre babies- freaking their mamas out of course that they were going to suffocate, but I guess it just comforted them. I also think being afraid is very normal at this age- children are starting to realize that there are things in the world that they can't control (whereas 6 months ago they thought they ruled the world) so that gives them an out-of-control feeling. My daughter went through a stage of being afraid of the shadows in the bedroom at night. We did a lot of shadow play, read a lot of books about shadows and after a while the fear diminished. I know you don't know what her fear is about exactly, but I think as long as you just continue to comfort and reassure her and you think it's not interfering with her general well-being in other areas of her life, then it is okay for her to find her own means of comforting herself.

Hi J.,

Not sure how if you believe in angels, but that's what I tell my 3 1/2 yr old. That its just my mother/grandmother/or his older brother that are watching over him. If she's sleeping in a bed other than her crib, it might be the size of the bed that is causing the anxiety. We moved our son to a full sized bed and added body pillows to help take up some room. They also give the "comfort" of a warm soft cozy feeling. He's sleeping completely through the night with no issue and has been for months. Hope this helps. Married working mother of one here and one in heaven.

I did that when I was a child. I remember being scared of specific movie characters. My mother says it drove her nuts and she would go uncover me after I fell asleep. :)