Bedtime overthinking in clients is very real, and research shows it is a common reason they struggle to fall asleep. In fact, a national poll found that nearly a quarter of parents said their child’s sleep is delayed because they feel worried at night. The good news is that parents can turn to simple techniques to help their children settle their minds.
This Bedtime Overthinking handout is a supportive resource for clients who need help managing worries that tend to show up at night. To get started, it presents 5 strategies, including creating an action plan and writing down worries. These are applicable whether a client is dealing with school-related stress, social worries, changes at home, or general nighttime anxiety.
Learning about overcoming bedtime overthinking can greatly support a child’s daily functioning by improving their mood and energy levels. We recommend starting small, such as adding one simple calming step to the action plan each night, then gradually building a bedtime routine.
To provide further support for the tip on progressive muscle relaxation, caring adults may also download our Managing Stress With Progressive Muscle Relaxation handout.
This can also be paired with our 7 Ways To Reduce Overthinking handout, and our 5 Types of Overthinking handout.
References:
- Clark, S. (2024, June 17). Bedtime battles: 1 in 4 parents say their child can’t go to sleep because they’re worried or anxious. Michigan Medicine. https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/bedtime-battles-1-4-parents-say-their-child-cant-go-sleep-because-theyre-worried-or-anxious
- Gordon, J., King, N., Gullone, E., Muris, P., & Ollendick, T. H. (2007). Nighttime fears of children and adolescents: Frequency, content, severity, harm expectations, disclosure, and coping behaviours. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(10), 2464-2472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2007.03.013
