We all know that co-sleeping with parents is a huge NO when your infant progresses to a toddler. However, every parent is different, so is every child. Moving your kid to the nursery can be a huge change, and a night light can be a huge help to assist the baby while sleeping. But, first, ask yourself, should babies sleep with a night light?
Most parents make the mistake of buying a variety of night might with many different shapes and sizes that they don’t know that these might be the reason their kids don’t sleep through the night. If you aren’t sure whether your night light is keeping up your baby or not, or if you need the answer to, should toddlers sleep in the dark, keep on reading.
Now only we are going to cover the basics of do babies sleep better with a night light, but we will also be telling you the dos and don’ts of night lights for babies as well as the best night lights to buy for your baby.
We all know that as parents, we have assumed that a night light is the most crucial part of our baby’s nursery; on the contrary, this isn’t true. Babies sleep regardless of the night light. However, a night light is a sure way to keep them safe as well as calm should they ever wake up from their deep slumber in the middle of the night. A night light is also a great help for parents, a midnight diaper change or nursing routine can benefit from a dim night light, but do babies need to sleep with a night light, that’s the bigger question.
A night light can be a huge distraction for your baby, and it’s one thing that many parents are unaware of. Here are the topmost dos and don’ts that will help you decide whether you should add a night to your baby’s nursery or not? If yes, what kind should you buy? By the end of this article, you will know if night light to help toddlers sleep or not?
Dos and Don’ts of Adding a Night Light to Your Baby’s Nursery
Let’s look at the bright side first; here are the dos of placing night lights in baby’s nursery.
Dos:
1. Place the Light Strategically
If you are extra worried about the baby, add the night light near the bathroom door or the nursery door. Also, make sure the night light isn’t near the baby’s cot. The night light near the baby’s sleeping area can disturb them and keep them disturbed all night.
When your baby is an infant, the night light is more for you than the baby; your nursing, diaper changing, and checking on your baby. So, make sure that when you are using the night light for yourself, place them strategically. If you need the night light for nursing, place it near your nursing sofa, or if you need to use the night light for diaper changing, place the light near the changing station.
2. Low Wattage and Shaded
The second thing you need to be extra careful about is that the night light is low wattage and dim. The dim night light will not disturb your baby and help him sleep for long as well. Make sure your baby’s nursery night light is around 4-7 watts, so he sleeps a restful slumber and doesn’t get disturbed by the night light. Moreover, make sure the night light is free from harsh glare but rather as a dim and shaded reflection.
3. Consistency Matters
Be consistent, gradually introduce or remove the light from his nursery or room. You may be a super mom who can manage without a light, but as the baby grows older, he may need a night light to comfort him in case he gets up in the middle of the night. Many babies are anxious or light sleepers. They can get up easily with a little noise or creak. If they have a small and dim light in their room, they might not get scared and cry for mommy. Instead, they would go back to their peaceful slumber. A might light can become their security and reassurance.
Don’ts:
1. Using Blue Tone
So, you may have heard it a lot that blue light is bad for sleep, well it’s true. Blue light in any form or shape reduces or slows down the production of melatonin – the hormone that helps you sleep. This sleep-inducing hormone is the reason why you should never let your kid use phones or tablets before sleeping. If your kid uses phones and tablets, make sure he finishes a couple of hours before bedtime so that his sleep isn’t delayed. Instead of blue-toned lights, go for lights that have a red or orange tone. These warm lights make the room cozy and comfortable for the baby to sleep longer.
2. Assumptions
It’s not a flaw but a massive mistake for a parent to assume what their kid needs. When it comes to your precious bundle of joy, never assume but rather learn from experiences. Every baby is different; not all babies need a night light. In fact, some babies are such light-sleepers that a night light will only keep them up instead of helping them sleep. Every baby has a different temperament, so understand your baby a bit better before introducing a night light to his sleep routine. Moreover, don’t assume that you will need a night light beforehand; you might be able to do just fine without a night light, just keep the door open and use the light coming from that crack to change or feed the baby.
So, there you have it all the reasons that will help you decide what color night light is best for babies?
Five Best Night Lights for Your Baby’s Nursery
1. Greenic Dusk-to-Dawn LED
Dusk to dawn may loom like your basic night light, but trust the experts it’s extremely effective. The dim reflection of the light is enough for you to change the baby, nurse him as well as leave it on for the baby to sleep peacefully. Just make sure that you get in warm tones like Amber-toned light.
2. VAVA Baby Night Light for Nursery
The best part about the VAVA light is that it’s multipurpose. You can use it for your outdoor adventures as well as your baby’s nursery aid light. It works with batteries, so there is no worry of the baby getting electrocuted as well; there will be no messy wires insight too. Apart from that, you can also set an hour’s timer on your light with just one long tap, and your baby will sleep with a dim light but will not be disturbed because of it in the middle of the night. This light will become your perfect companion for breastfeeding, as well as nappy changing.
3. Bubzi Co. Owl Plush and Projector Night Light for Toddlers
This cute owl light has dual benefits. It’s a versatile toy that not only gives you ample light but also sings sweet lullabies to your baby. The toy plays ten different lullabies as well as projects a serene starlight reflection for your baby. The calm and serene atmosphere in the nursery helps the baby to sleep a deep slumber. You can set it for 30 minutes and then it shuts off automatically, so the baby sleeps without getting disturbed. Secondly, you can also use this toy to stimulate sleep time. Once you turn this on, your baby will know that it’s time to sleep. This toy plus night light is portable as well; you can move it from room to room and even take it on travels.
You what the best part is? When you buy any Bubzi Co. product, you are actually giving back to the community. A percentage of all your purchases go to Postpartum Support International, an organization that helps new moms look after their perinatal mental health.
4. Star Projector Night Light for Baby’s Nursery
Most parents will not agree, but this night light can actually stimulate sleep routine. A lot of parents may think that this projector may be a bit too much and distracting for the kids, but you can use it to start off the sleep routine and turn it off when the baby is sleeping. This is the perfect light for kids who are bored easily and are too anxious to lie in bed and wait for sleep to come.
5. Munchkin Light
This utterly adorable night light is just the thing for your nursery. It’s portable, as well as has a cute little owl to keep your kid amused. This works well for both infants and toddlers, so you won’t need to change it for a long while. It’s also the best night light as it doesn’t run longer than 15 minutes. You can also teach your toddler to turn it on with just an easy tap.
Conclusion
So here you have it, your question, should newborn sleep in the dark have been answered with all the dos and don’ts. Also, these top night light suggestions will help you buy the best product for your baby’s nursery.
