“Does a baby need a nightlight?” is a question many new parents ask themselves. In this post, I will talk about the best time to introduce a nightlight in your baby/toddler’s bedroom based on my own experience. I will talk about selecting an appropriate type of light, discuss the most suitable colour options for night lights, and provide some general bedtime routine advice to ensure that your baby/toddler gets the best possible sleep.
1. Put them to bed in the dark from the word go!
When I was pregnant with my first baby, the best piece of advice my mum gave me was, “Start putting them to bed early as soon as possible. Whatever happened later in the night, your dad and I always had our evenings, and it saved us.” When my daughter was around 12 weeks old, I took my mum’s advice. I breastfed fed her as much as possible in the early evening, then bathed her, breastfed her again, lightly swaddled her, and put her to bed, upstairs, IN THE DARK. I always made sure my babies had full tummies before putting them to bed.
2. The importance of a dark room and the role of melatonin
A dark, quiet room my mum told me, was essential. While bright light in the baby’s room should be dimmed by closing blinds or drawing curtains for short naps during the day, almost complete darkness is needed to aid the production of melatonin at night time. Melatonin, the ‘sleepy’ hormone, is a key factor in regulating sleep cycles and the body clock.
In babies and young children, the production of melatonin is influenced by the presence or absence of light in their sleeping environment. A bright light can inhibit the production of melatonin, while a dim light can promote it. New parents might be worried that their babies will have a fear of the dark if the room is too dark, but we certainly never found this problem with either of our babies.
When they are born, babies have of course been living in darkness for nine months! They haven’t yet learnt to be fearful of the dark. It’s a good idea to be consistent with a bedtime routine that includes putting them to bed in almost total darkness, while their body clock is adjusting to their new daytime (awake time) and nighttime (sleeping time) routine.
So, in my experience, small babies who haven’t started to feel separation anxiety, don’t really need to have a nightlight when they are sleeping. A dim light in which to feed the baby when they wake in the night can be produced either by using a lamp, or an overhead ceiling light on a dimmer switch. A dim lightbulb will provide enough light to carry out feeding and changing tasks, without affecting the production of melatonin.
3. Night lights can help with separation anxiety
Fear of the dark often goes hand in hand with the onset of separation anxiety, which can dramatically affect baby and toddler sleep just when their parents thought they had cracked it! This is the point at which a small amount of soft lighting by way of nursery lamps or a nightlight in a baby or toddler’s bedroom can be really helpful.
The warm glow from these lights can provide great comfort to a child sleeping alone, and fun patterns produced on a wall or ceiling from night light projectors — stars and moons for example — can provide much-needed distraction while they are drifting off to sleep. Some babies will develop separation anxiety much earlier than others, in which case it’s probably best to introduce a nightlight earlier on.
A dim night light in your child’s room as they get a bit older probably isn’t going to provide enough light for you to carry out necessary activities, such as changing wet sheets or administering Calpol in the night (you may need to switch on a more power light or lamp for this). It can, however, help create a soothing, dimly lit environment conducive to a good night’s sleep, reducing the fear of the dark and separation anxiety.
4. Choosing the Right Type of Light Bulb
When selecting a night light, consider the type of light bulb it uses. Blue-based light, similar to natural daylight, should be avoided, especially during night feedings, as it can suppress melatonin production. Instead, opt for red or amber light, which has a higher wavelength and has been shown to have a more positive impact on babies’ sleep patterns. You may prefer to opt for red or dim red light to create a restful sleep environment, making it easier for your child to fall back asleep after night waking or night terrors.
5. The Bottom Line
Children’s sleep patterns are crucial for their growth and development in the early years. Many parents may find that newborns and younger babies don’t need one, and that they sleep better in almost total darkness apart from feeding and changing sessions. An added bonus of not using a nightlight to begin with is that parents won’t be disturbed by the light when the baby is sleeping in their bedroom with them. In fact, a really dark room will much more likely aid better sleep for everyone compared to a brighter room. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone in early childhood who hasn’t needed a nightlight eventually. They can be a valuable addition to a baby’s or toddler’s room, ensuring they get a good night’s sleep in their own room. Choose the right type of light, opt for soothing colours, and combine this with a consistent bedtime routine.
In summary, whether used from birth or once your child is a bit older, the right night light can be beneficial for both you and your child, offering comfort in the midst of nighttime awakenings and fostering restful sleep for your little one.
6. Product suggestions
While nightlights come in all sorts of colourful shapes and designs, we used the following simple nightlights in both our toddler’s bedrooms and still take them with us when we travel (they are now aged seven and five). The nightlight has a motion sensor so it automatically switches on when it’s dark, and off when it’s light/daytime. Very handy!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185710841430
We also had great success with a moon and stars projector similar to this one when our children were younger:
Further Links and Resources
https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/your-childs-development/0-3-months/tips-help-your-baby-sleep
Other posts from Enjoy Every Minute you might find useful:
https://enjoyeveryminute.co.uk/2024/04/23/pushchair-bassinet-overnight/
https://enjoyeveryminute.co.uk/2024/05/20/is-it-ever-a-good-idea-to-wake-a-sleeping-baby/