Helping children to overcome their fear of the dark

A fear of the dark is a common childhood anxiety which can lead to sleepless nights for both parents and child. Young children with active imaginations have a hard time separating reality from fantasy. Shapes and outlines in a darkened room can quickly become scary monstrous figures in young child´s mind, and this can lead to panic and fear which is not conducive to a restful nights sleep.

To help alleviate this problem you may want to consider some form of low level lighting in the bedroom. When considering this option, the room should not be so brightly light that it prevents sleep, but a light should provide enough illumination to create a reassuring glow.

Glow-in-The-Dark technology is relatively new. Stickers, which can be attached to walls and ceilings, have been around for some time. However they tend to vanish after a short period of time. Other forms of luminous night lights have involved painting articles with a luminous paint, but many parents wish to avoid painted products for fear of a child ingesting small flakes of paint.

There are also battery operated, solar-powered battery, or LED type products available; however there are issues over replacing batteries, disposing of LED’s when finished, and obtaining enough sunlight to recharge solar batteries.

However, it is possible to obtain material that enables you to have a long lasting residual glow (8 hours), which requires none of the previously mentioned methods of powering the process. It is now possible to have an environmentally friendly, Glow-In-The-Dark product, that operates throughout the night with just a modicum of light to recharge it. Just 15 minutes of light (even artificial light) is sufficient to create a recharge. This technology ensures that you can have an environmentally friendly night light, going night after night, for many years.

This new technology has opened up all kinds of possibilities. The majority of which have involved the safety sector – signage, clothing, emergency lighting etc. It has also spawned various novelty items.

But for parents of children who have difficulty sleeping in the dark, perhaps the most useful feature of this technology is the way it can provide a safe but effective way to sooth a child’s night time terrors. It’s possible to have a selection of products in your child’s room which enable them to rest without having to put on a night/ hall light. This can save money on energy bills, reduces your carbon footprint and helps ensure a peaceful night’s sleep for all the family.

For further information on low level night-time lighting, visit www.glowbiles.com