"When children have anxiety about sleepovers, you are likely to notice that the child has other worries or discomforts as well," noted Sharma. "Reflect to see if the child dislikes or worries about other social situations or situations where they are separated from their parents."
There's a lot you can do in this case, though treatment options are age-dependent. "A phase plan could be helpful where the child has friends over late, then a sleepover with one friend at their house a couple of times before having a sleepover at a friends house."
This isn't something that should be forced, though. "It is important to make decisions about sleepovers, and other anxiety-provoking situations, based on where the child is at and how significant anxiety is. If they can tolerate distress and work through it, that can be very helpful. But putting a child in a situation where they will become flooded with anxiety can be harmful."