Nursery Lighting And The Use Of Nightlights

Nursery lighting is important and can certainly impact your child’s ability to fall asleep easily and stay asleep. Follow these three nursery lighting tips as you begin to build your baby’s healthy sleep foundation.

Three things to keep in mind when it comes to nursery lighting and the use of nightlights:

1. Use dim lighting in the nursery during the bedtime routine. Putting a dimmer on the light switch or just using a low watt light bulb in a lamp works well. Dimming the lights as you get your baby ready for bed helps trigger the release of melatonin which will help your little one fall asleep faster.
2. Use blackout shades or good quality blinds in order to keep the nursery dark throughout the night and during naps. You want the room as dark as possible. This helps the body continue to release melatonin.
3. Don’t use a nightlight in your infant’s nursery. There is a risk that a nightlight will disrupt the release of melatonin. Infants aren’t scared of the dark so now is the perfect time to get your little one accustomed to and comfortable sleeping in the dark. Having an infant who is accustomed to sleeping in the dark will help you easily navigate the “I’m scared of the dark” periods during the preschool years. For middle of the night feedings and changings, use a dim light. This adjustable light works really well and can easily transition into a toddler sleep clock.

Providing our children with an ideal sleep environment is one of the easiest ways to encourage healthy sleep habits. Ensuring the right lighting and darkness level is a good place to start.