scared of the dark

[Plaistow1981]

My friends daughter is scared of the dark, she has recently started wetting the bed, because she was scared of using the downstairs toilet. They bought her a lamp to take with her, it worked for a week, but last night she wet the floor and she has done this before , any ideas how we can help her? She doesn't get told off if it's an accident, but she seems to do it on purpose, she is 7 years okd

Restrict liquids a couple of hours before bed.

Insist on her having a wee at bed time.

Nightlight in hall.

I have ice and could not have coped with a child wetting the bed so I used to do the above but at 11,30pm ish I would go and lift my son up and take him for a wee and straight back to bed. Sometimes he didn’t seem to wake up properly so it didn’t disturb his sleep and he never wet the bed.

My daughter was different and very independent and would take herself off to the toilet by herself.

I do think restricting liquids helps.

We've got plug in motion censored lights in the hall way and a night light in DS's room.

He isn't scared of the dark (doesn't like it but still), whereas I am and I'm thirtysomething.

Motion censored lights really help, we also have some smart lights so can switch them on using Alexa so I can say for her to turn on the downstairs lights or specific room lights from upstairs and I know I won't be walking into a dark downstairs.

How do you meant she seems to do it on purpose? In what way?

You can put a potty/bucket in her room which she can use during the night until the phase passes.

If a seven year old is deliberately wetting themselves during the night there is something very wrong going on so try their life. They wouldn’t be doing it “out of spite” or just to be annoying.

My 7 year old is scared of using our downstairs toilet during the night, so I take her. Yes it’s annoying, but she’s little and it’s scary 🤷‍♀️

Leave (low energy) lights on in hallways and bathroom. Shut the doors to other dark rooms.

We leave our landing light on all night for this reason.

Light on for her.