Afraid of the Dark, Bedtime Fears, & Meditation

Meditation can help you relax and reduce your stress before going to sleep. Being afraid of the dark, feeling lonely, and other fears can make it difficult to sleep at night. Yet meditation can make you more aware of your thoughts and feelings. As well as helping you reduce your stress and calming down the nervous system with meditation techniques can provide comfort with safety. To begin meditating at night, you can use dim lighting or use one lamp to light your room before going to sleep. 

You can use a night light wall plug in or turn on the light from your bathroom. If your bathroom is next to your bedroom, you can have the light of your bathroom turned on or a hallway ceiling light fixtures turned on while you meditate. Also, if you change your room to go to sleep might help you to relax. Nonetheless, find a guided meditation online or on a meditation application to listen to before going to sleep. Arrange your furniture and decor items to help you feel safe in any room in your home. 

Practice self-care, self-acceptance, and self-awareness to do self-reflection on your fears. Ask yourself if the fear is based on an event, your thoughts, or if the fear was from watching a movie of suspense at night. Write down how you are feeling at that present moment and what is causing you to be afraid of the dark. Next focus on managing your thoughts, feelings, and emotions to find a balance to help you go to sleep. Visual meditation can help you think about comforting items such as a relaxing vacation place, a camping memory, or a person that makes you feel comfortable. 

Find a comfortable position. Visualize dolphins or whales swimming and smelling the warm sea salty aroma of the beach. Another example is to visualize lots of flowers and butterflies or a loving memory of someone. Practice visual meditation for twenty minutes or until you fall asleep. If your child is afraid of the dark, they can visualize magical butterflies or magical creatures that are gentle and kind. 

Positive affirmations, music, and journaling are helpful along with visual meditation. Use the changing seasons to help you modify your visual meditation based on your previous self-reflection from journaling. A few hours before preparing your nighttime routine, review your journal and see what you can add for your visual meditation. You might want to add music, lotion, aromatherapy, coloring, or making a picture book of nature pictures. In addition, seek professional help if you have night phobias. 

To calm your nighttime fears, it is possible to make a nighttime routine for your safety, comfort level, and for ending nighttime overthinking. However, if you have night phobias, it is best to seek medical treatments in addition to meditation applications to help you improve your sleep. Begin slowly by adding dim lighting and taking steps to begin socializing at night. Nighttime phobias can limit your socializing at night especially if you have a traumatic event that occurred at night. Also, find a support group for emotional wellness and for speaking about your nighttime phobias. 

Watch an entertaining, comedy, or a romantic movie for a few hours before going to sleep. Visualize yourself as the character in a movie and practice Yoga or movement meditation to relax your body. Gradually walk outside to see the night sky with a friend or with someone you can trust. As well as journaling with a flashlight or with dim lighting outside in your garden at night. Use your senses at night and do counting meditation or breathing techniques as you are outside at night. 

Draw stars, moons, or hang night sky landscapes in your room. Stare at the nighttime paintings. Visualize yourself in that beautiful place with your partner or with someone you trust. Purchase comfortable clothing and bed sheets with a relaxing sleep theme. Continue drawing how you feel about the night in your journal. 

Hold hands with someone if you are too afraid of being outside in your garden at night. Another tip is to practice mindfulness at night with your partner or with someone you can trust. Focus on a glow in the dark item and stare at it as you practice breathing techniques. Dance slowly with a glow in the dark bracelets or dance with dim lighting. Lie down on your bed and move your legs. 

After you are done moving gently, hold onto a blanket or a pillow. Write or say one word to help you relax. Repeat the same words as you put on lotion or use aromatherapy for your nighttime routine. Remove distractions and use essential oils to wash your feet. Use your senses as you wash your feet and after put-on socks before movement meditation. 

Then move your arms. Visualize yourself swimming, dancing, or playing in the snow, colorful leaves, or flower petals. Move your arms and legs as you focus on your breathing as you visualize a relaxing place at night. It might take weeks or months before you can meditate at night and manage your night phobias with a therapist. Here are resources for meditation and calming your nighttime fears. 

 

Guided Meditation-Kids-Afraid of the Dark No More:

Guided Meditation | Kids - Afraid of the Dark No More

Fear of the Dark-Cory Cochiolo:

Fear Of The Dark | Cory Cochiolo

Meditation for Kids Afraid of Dark: Comforting Nighttime Fears:

Meditation for Kids Afraid of Dark: Comforting Nighttime Fears

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