What to Do When You Dread Your Bed, 2nd Edition: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems with Sleep

by Dawn Huebner, Katie Saunders (Illustrator)

Wouldn't it be great if your kids could climb into bed, snuggle under the covers, and fall asleep without any fuss or fear? Without listening for noises or thinking about bad guys? Without an extra drink, or an extra hug, or an extra trip to the bathroom?






Bedtime is tough for many kids. If your kid dreads their bed, and you're convinced that nothing short of magic will make nighttime easier, this book is for them.






What to Do When You Dread Your Bed, 2nd Edition, uses evidence-based tools to help children and their parents address problems with sleep. Fears, busy brains, restless bodies, and overdependence on parents are all tackled as children gain the skills they need for more peaceful nights. The updated edition pairs everything that worked so well in the original—the conversational tone, interactive elements, clear and actionable strategies—with new tools, new illustrations, and up-to-date expert advice. It's the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to fall asleep and stay asleep—like magic!


This book is part of the What-to-Do Guides for Kids series and includes an introduction to parents and caregivers.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

Dawn Huebner, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and Parent Coach specializing in childhood anxiety. She is the author of 20 books for children (and one for therapists), including bestsellers What to Do When You Worry Too Much and Outsmarting Worry.

Dr. Huebner recognized the need for lively, easy-to-read take-home materials to help children practice the strategies they were learning in her office. She created a format effective for 6-12-year olds – the What to Do Guides for Kids - teaching complex psychological concepts using metaphors, language, and humor easily understood by children. Subsequent books maintain her distinctive voice while adding a layer of detail and sophistication appreciated by older children and teens.

All of Dr. Huebner’s books echo her philosophy - that children can and should be taught to help themselves, and that they are capable of overcoming even stuck-seeming challenges.
Dr. Huebner’s books sell briskly around the world, and have been translated into 23 languages. She has been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN.com, WebMD and many other news and information outlets, and is frequently interviewed by popular parenting magazines. Dr. Huebner’s TEDx talk on Rethinking Anxiety has been viewed over a million times.

Dr. Huebner enjoys hearing from readers. She is always at work on her next book...