How to Help a Child Struggling with Fear of Monsters or the Dark

Understanding Your Child’s Nighttime Fears

When your child tells you they’re scared of the dark or believe monsters are hiding under the bed, your first reaction might be to reassure them with logic: “There’s nothing there.” But to your child, these fears feel very real. They’re not being dramatic or difficult — their growing imagination is powerful, vivid, and, at times, overwhelming. And when the lights go out, that imagination can quickly turn bedrooms into terrifying spaces.

Fears of the dark and monsters often peak during the early school years, when children become more aware of the world’s uncertainties but don’t yet have all the tools to process them. These fears aren’t unusual, but they can still cause considerable bedtime stress and sleep disruption for your child — and, honestly, for the whole family.

Why Reassurance Alone Isn’t Always Enough

Reassurance matters — it lets your child know they can count on you. But night after night of repeating “there’s nothing to be afraid of” might slowly lose its effect. Your child isn’t just seeking confirmation that monsters aren't real — they’re looking for emotional safety. That means what helps most is not eliminating the fear, but helping them feel capable of navigating it.

If your child asks you to check the closet, it’s not about proving monsters don’t exist. It’s about inviting you into their experience. Joining them there, without judgment, is the first step toward helping them grow through it.

Creating a Sense of Safety Through Routine and Connection

Fear thrives in unpredictability. So, one of the most powerful ways to reduce nighttime anxiety is to build consistent, comforting bedtime routines. A warm bath, a quiet story, soft lighting, and predictable steps every evening can ease your child’s nervous system and signal, “You’re safe now.”

Many children who fear the dark are also highly sensitive or prone to anxious thinking. You might find it helpful to learn how to tell if your child is just sensitive or truly anxious, so you can support them with more understanding and intention.

Letting Their Imagination Work for — Not Against — Them

Children who fear monsters or darkness often have brilliantly active imaginations. Rather than seeing that imagination as the enemy, you can gently show your child how to use it in empowering ways. Together, you could:

• Invent a monster-repelling spray (a white lavender water mist works wonderfully).
• Create a bedtime superhero who watches over them while they sleep.
• Draw a "no-monsters-allowed" sign and put it on the bedroom door.

These ideas might sound small, but they give your child a sense of control in an overwhelming moment. That sense of agency is key to managing anxiety in all its forms.

Storytelling as a Soothing Tool

Stories have always helped children make sense of what they feel. They normalize the experience of fear, provide emotional distance, and offer children new ways of responding to trouble. Calming bedtime stories, in particular, give the mind something gentle to focus on as it prepares for sleep.

This is where audio storytelling can be especially powerful. The LISN Kids app — also available on Android — offers a curated collection of original audio stories and series for kids aged 3 to 12. These stories are designed not just to entertain but to soothe, inspire, and build emotional resilience over time.

Listening to a calming story as part of your child’s nighttime routine can anchor their imagination in something comforting and peaceful — an essential shift from fear to rest.

Be Patient — Progress Isn’t Always Linear

One night your child might fall asleep peacefully after only one story. The next night, they may need you to sit beside them for an hour. This inconsistency can be exhausting — but it’s also normal. The goal isn’t to eliminate fear overnight but to help your child build trust in themselves over time.

Try noticing and gently celebrating the small wins: sleeping with a nightlight instead of insisting the hallway light stays on, staying in bed for five more minutes before calling out, expressing fear with words instead of through a meltdown. These are all steps in the right direction.

For more guidance on how you can support an anxious child with practical techniques, especially in the evening, you might find this article on best bedtime routines for a stressed child particularly helpful.

When to Consider Additional Support

If your child’s fears persist for many months, worsen, or begin to affect their overall mood, school experience, or daily functioning, it may be worth exploring additional support. A licensed child therapist can help assess whether your child’s fears may be part of a larger anxiety pattern — and help you develop strategies tailored to their needs.

In the meantime, you can learn more about separation anxiety or audio tools that help children navigate fear, both of which often overlap with nighttime distress.

The Bottom Line

Helping your child through fears of the dark or monsters isn’t about flipping a switch — it’s about walking hand in hand through something that feels scary to them. You don’t have to have all the answers. By staying calm, consistent, and connected, you become their anchor. And over time, they’ll carry that sense of safety with them — even when the lights go out.