My toddler is afraid of the dark and of monsters. What do I do?
Kyra Hendrix, certified Gentle Sleep Coach® trained in the Kim West method · updated November 8, 2026
For babies from 18 to 60 months
A toddler afraid of the dark isn't making it up: around this age imagination develops, and with it fear of the dark, of monsters and of strange noises. Acknowledge the fear without feeding it: listen, name the feelings, stay calm yourself, reassure, and hold on to the bedtime routine. Checking the closet can become a fixed little step.
A child who went to sleep just fine for months suddenly wants the light on. That's not a regression and not putting it on: something new has appeared that wasn't there before.
Where it comes from
Around this age, imagination develops fast. That's a gain during the day, and in the evening it's the flip side: what you can imagine, you can also fear.
Kyra names four forms you see most in this phase: fear of the dark, monsters and shadows, strange noises, and being alone.
That last one is linked to separation anxiety, which is still very much in play at this age.
Acknowledge without feeding it
This is the whole art, and both halves count.
Don't brush it off ("there's nothing there, go to sleep"), because then your child is scared and alone. But also don't go along with the story. Monster spray, looking under the bed and chasing the monster away: it sounds sweet, but it confirms there's something to chase away. Next week it's back.
The five steps
- Listen. Ask what's wrong and let your child finish talking.
- Acknowledge the feeling. "You find it scary in the dark." No more is needed.
- Stay calm yourself. Your calm is what your child goes by; unease in you makes the fear bigger.
- Offer reassurance. A hand for a moment, staying a little, a cuddly toy alongside.
- Hold on to the routine. This is the step that falls away most often. Right now, predictability is exactly what gives safety.
What helps in practice
A small night light is fine. Choose one with warm, dimmed light and keep it low: bright light in the evening works against falling asleep.
Beyond that, anything that makes the room familiar helps, and a fixed object to hold. See also setting up the nursery.
When it turns into stalling
Fear is sometimes real, and sometimes it becomes a reason to stretch out the evening. Both can be true at the same time. Acknowledge the feeling, and keep the limit: the toddler who won't sleep.
And if you're woken by screaming at night, look at the clock first, because that separates two very different things: night terrors vs nightmares.
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