Why do children sometimes insist on sleeping with their parent instead of sleeping alone in their own bed?
At 4 or 5 years old, a child needs to be autonomous and somehow courageous to sleep alone in her bed. At this age, children believe that monsters or ghosts can suddenly appear during the night. Sleeping alone, far from one’s parents represents a real risk: there are more risks to be “attacked” by these monsters when she’s alone. Sleeping with her parents comforts her as she believes her parents have the power and the strength to fight “the baddies”! For others, it is more related to emotional security. The child worries that her parent leaves at night or early in the morning to go work before she can see him. She therefore needs to get close to him so she can monitor his every move. This is often the case with children whose parents have work schedules that do not match their children’s (e.g., flexible hours, nightshifts). Or there are children who worry that someone will come and steal some of their parent’s affection and attention. Some will be jealous of their parent’s partner and w
