What is the difference between the ebook and the online program? I’m glad you asked.
Both the Ebook and the Online Program contain the full method that uses multiple strategies through several weekly sessions with the child to ensure that they are successful learning to sleep on their own. The Ebook is a version in which the parent and child read about a child named Royelle who was afraid of sleeping alone and who demonstrates how to do the method.
Your child is invited to use the method along with Royelle but your child can also just follow the story along without doing the method. This can be a gentler way of introducing the method to a very young child or a child who is extremely afraid of sleeping alone (i.e., their level of anxiety is a 10 out of 10).
By contrast, the Online Program requires the child to participate as though I am speaking directly to them and interacting with them as they use the method. Each session in the Bedtime Hero method – fear of being alone (the first session), fear of the dark, the closet or under the bed, sounds in the house, intruders, bad dreams or imaginary creatures and waking in the night – has its own unique strategic intervention associated with it to help your child resolve each and every aspect of their worries and fears.
Using both the Ebook and the Online Program together is the best option because it totally immerses your child in the process, it generates new ideas and continues until the problem is totally resolved. No half way solutions.
– Mark Lauderdale MD FRCPC
Hi Dr. Mark,
Our 10 year boy has a nightmare most nights and comes in to let us know. After a quick pop back to bed, sometimes returning once or twice with “can’t sleep”. Sometimes it’s games or videos trugger, but seems more like hes generally scared or insecure. He has had this insecurity since he was young. He goes through patterns of weeks okay and weeks of disturbance. We have never co slept and when younger he would make a makeshift bed nearby in the hallway. He wouldn’t wake us, we’d just wake to him in the morning. He enjoys sleeping in his sisters room, and seems to like the comfort. He generally is an anxious child wiith fears many things, yet doesn’t seem to have notable panic. His birth was traumatic and as a baby always liked to be held. He’s terrified of spiders and storms, plus some less notable things, and we really want to help him to grow into a confident and capable person.
Your thoughts?? Do you thing the program would help??
Many warm thanks.
Tania
Yes, the Bedtime Hero program would definitely help your son with his bedtime anxieties. Bad dreams, fear of sleeping alone, fear of sounds and more are all addressed in the interactive online program. Please see https://www.shrinkinabox.com/bedtimehero or https://www.shrinkinabox.com/bedtimefears for more information.
Just tried for the first time last night and she went to sleep great with us checking every 10 minutes and was asleep by the 4th check. But then she woke at 11.30 and 2am asking for checks. Are we supposed to do checks every time?
Yes. When your child is first learning to settle in their own bed you should repeat the checking procedure if they awaken in the night. The goal is for them to fall asleep in their own bed even if they awaken during the night.
My 9 year old daughter has separation anxiety – but mainly at night and bedtime. She will not sleep out and especially not with her father. We are currently going through a hostile divorce which is dragging on and is the cause of the SAD. The divorce has been going on for almost 3 years. Will this programme help us?
It will not deal with all of the issues related to a divorce, but yes, it will help with her sleep. You can always obtain a full or partial refund if there is no improvement. She would also benefit from seeing a child psychologist or psychiatrist for the separation anxiety.
Hello! My child is afraid to sleep at night because he thinks he will see or hear a ghost thanks to YouTube. He has been sleeping with us but is still scared and has to lay super close just to fall asleep. This has been going on for about a month now. We’ve tried laying with him in his room until he falls asleep but he always ends up in our room anyway when he wakes up an hour or two later. Every night is a screaming match and we are all exhausted. Do you think this program will help? He is also 8 and going through a super emotional phase right now, many outbursts of anger and frustration . Will this work if he shares a room with his 6 year old sister? They have shared a room for about 3 years now.
Hello. There are several sections within the program that would help including fear of the dark, fear of intruders (which includes ghosts), afraid of bad dreams, and fear of being alone during the night. His emotional state would likely improve as his sleep improves. Sharing a room with his younger should not be a problem at this age.
My 8 year old daughter doesn’t have all of the fears. She mainly has a hard time falling asleep and fears waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep again. Would this address that? And would we just skip the parts that don’t apply?
Hi. Yes, Bedtime Hero would definitely address your daughter’s issues. You can certainly bypass any modules that are not relevant. Keep in mind that as she proceeds through the program underlying fears sometimes become apparent and the other modules may then be very useful! Also, it can be helpful for a child to do a module that is not directly relevant just so that they can practice gaining a different perspective on the whole issue of sleeping on their own.