What does separation anxiety look like and where does it come from, including at night?
Applies to age: 6–24 months
In short
A child with separation anxiety clings and cries when a caregiver leaves, even for a short time. It is a sign that the child is starting to understand being a separate person and how much they depend on those close to them; the anxiety should fade at age 2–3.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Separation anxiety and fear of strangers are common in young children aged 6 months to 3 years; they can last longer and also appear at other times of stress or anxiety.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Separation anxiety and fear of strangers is common in young children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, although it can last longer and may also happen at other times of stress or anxiety.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Babies and young children often cling to a caregiver and cry when a parent or another caregiver leaves them, even for a short time.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Babies and toddlers often get clingy and cry if you or their other carers leave them, even for a short time.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Separation anxiety is a sign that the baby is starting to understand being a separate person, and how much they depend on the people who care for them.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
But separation anxiety is a sign your baby now realises they're a separate person from you and how dependent they are on the people who care for them.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- As the baby becomes more aware of their surroundings, their strong bond with a small circle of close people makes them feel less safe without them.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
As they get more aware of their surroundings, your baby's strong relationship with this small group means they do not feel so safe without you.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Growing awareness of the surroundings can also make the baby feel unsure or upset in new situations or with new people, even when the parent is nearby.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Their growing awareness of the world around them can also make them feel unsafe or upset in new situations or with new people, even if you are there.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Separation anxiety is a normal stage of a child's development and should fade at age 2–3.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
This is a normal stage in a child's development and should stop at around age 2 to 3.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- When young children feel anxious, they cannot always understand and express what they feel; one sign of anxiety is waking up at night.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
When young children feel anxious, they cannot always understand or express what they are feeling.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
wake in the night
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
- The situation is a cause for concern when separation anxiety causes the child a lot of distress, the child stays upset for a long time after the caregiver has left, or the anxiety lasts longer than a few weeks (each of these conditions on its own).
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If your child's separation anxiety is causing them a lot of distress, they are upset for a long time after you have left them, or it has been going on for more than a few weeks
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
- Anxiety becomes a problem for the child when it starts to get in the way of their everyday life.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Anxiety becomes a problem for children when it starts to get in the way of their everyday life.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [1]
See a doctor
- It is worth discussing with a specialist anything about your child's development that worries you, using the advice of a midwife, a nurse or a pediatrician.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Warto jednak skonsultować ze specjalistą to, co Cię zaniepokoiło i korzystać z rad położnej, pielęgniarki czy pediatry.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [2]
- You can also talk about your child's development with a child psychologist.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Możesz też porozmawiać z psychologiem dziecięcym.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [2]
- Who assesses a child's development and when, within the age window of this record (this is the date of the well-child checkup, not a developmental norm): the Ministry of Health regulation on guaranteed services in primary care (POZ), Dz.U. 2023 item 1427, annex 1 part III items 3 and 4 – the checkup in the 9th and in the 12th month of life includes a medical examination that takes into account the pace of psychomotor development.
Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Badanie lekarskie podmiotowe i przedmiotowe, z uwzględnieniem tempa rozwoju fizycznego (pomiary: masy i długości ciała, obwodu głowy i klatki piersiowej) i psychomotorycznego.
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-09 · license [3]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)
- https://www.nhs.uk/baby/babys-development/behaviour/separation-anxiety/
- https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/anxiety-in-children/
License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS. - Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
- Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl)License: Akt normatywny, art. 4 pkt 1 ustawy o prawie autorskim (nie podlega ochronie). Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl).