Around one in six kids are afraid of monsters under the bed while almost a quarter are scared of the dark, new national research into children’s sleep has revealed.

A surprising 17% of children are worried about what could be lurking under their bed as they sleep, while 23% suffer from the age-old problem of being afraid of the dark.

The national research into children’s sleep patterns has been conducted by leading sleep brand Silentnight – and released to mark this year’s Halloween celebrations on October 31.

The results show more than four in five kids aged between four and eleven years old (81%) suffer from bedtime anxiety – which is a fear or worry about going to sleep.

Nearly one in five children (19%) have nightmares – with the same number fearful of sleeping alone. Worries about school impact around 14% of children, with the fear of bullies or being bullied keeping 15% up at night.

Meanwhile, the research reveals the average child wakes up around two times per night, getting between seven and eight hours sleep.

Just 18% get the recommended 10 hours of sleep required for children aged four to eleven, meaning that on average kids are losing out on 14 hours of sleep per week.

To help make bedtime routines as easy as possible, and to alleviate bedtime anxiety, Silentnight has partnered with children’s coaching expert Natalie Costa, to develop a Sleep Guide for Kids, aimed at parents and teachers.

Natalie said: “It can be frustrating and distressing for parents if their child is waking up in the night, or if they are scared of going to sleep.

“The good news for parents is that there’s lots of things they can do to take the stress out of bedtime and help kids feel more settled and adapt into a routine.

“Whether it’s creating a clear bedtime routine, taking the time to explain why sleep is so important or even practising meditation or journaling – there’s lots of things to try.”

NATALIE COSTA’S TOP FIVE SLEEP TIPS…

1. Sleep is your superpower
Share with your child how sleep is actually their hidden superpower! Explain that while they might not always feel like sleeping or going to bed at a certain time, their brain LOVES sleep. Our brain is like an iPad, if the battery is running low, we need to recharge the device, otherwise we can’t play the games we like!

2. Bring them in
Start to incorporate the tips from the Silentnight Sleep Guide into your child’s bedtime routine. Doing so will help them feel more settled and relaxed.

3: Creating a cosy sleep environment
Try to create a calm and relaxing space to help your child settle more easily at night as they prepare to go to bed. Explore with them how they can create a cosy environment by tidying their bedroom, having a special pillow or blanket or a lamp that illuminates a softer glow etc.

4. Calm the worries
Bedtime can often be a time when children share their worries or anxieties of the day. Help your child work through these worries by getting them to journal, draw or write out what is on their mind. You can also offer to hold on to the worries for your child, by telling them that you’ll look after them so that your child doesn’t have to.

5. Hand-on-heart-breathing
Model and teach your child how to soothe their negative feelings by using their breath. Hand-on-heart-breathing is a great exercise to help your child calm their wobbly feelings. Typically, when we get anxious or upset, our breathing starts to quicken – intensifying those nervy emotions. Teach your child how to breath into their belly (or diaphragm) – taking slow, deep breaths in through their nose, and slowly exhaling through their mouth, as if they’re blowing out through a straw.

For more sleep advice, visit Silentnight’s sleep guide for kids: https://www.silentnight.co.uk/sleep-guide-for-kids