The darker the room, the less stimulation your child will experience. Thus, the better sleep the baby will get. So, should newborns sleep in a dark room? They should.
As a result, the infant will calm down and become more relaxed. The darkroom will remind the child it’s time to sleep and get rest.
Darkening their environment will help babies fall asleep faster. So, it’s better to block out as much light as you possibly can from the baby sleeping area.
Yes, if you are wondering about the night light, you should cut that as well. Especially, if your toddler is younger than 18 months, – haven’t yet developed a fear of the dark yet, there’s no need to keep the lights on.
Newborn and infant sleep is a large concern of many parents. They want to make sure their baby is getting enough rest even when they are at home with them, but they also want to keep babies safe from the dangers of the world.
Many parents worry about their newborn falling victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) because they do not believe in exposing their child to bright lights or explaining how babies sleep more than necessary.
How dark should my baby’s room be at night?
Should newborns sleep in a dark room? Yes, then how dark should the baby’s room be? Well, the darkroom doesn’t necessarily mean jet black. You can consider using a glow plug-in night light for your toddler’s sleeping room.
The light should be dim, but enough so you can see your baby. Make sure it is on all night so the intensity of lighting is constant.
It’s an important question and one that we’ve all thought about to some extent. At the end of the day, there is no easy answer because it depends on too many variables:
Your baby’s age, how much light they need at night, and whether you’re comfortable with a dimly lit room or not. All in all, it comes down to what you want for your baby.
Does light affect newborn sleep?
Just a brief exposure to bright light can stop melatonin from the process by suppressing the onset of sleep in children because their eyes are way more sensitive compared to adults. So, yes, light can affect a newborn’s sleep.
Many new parents have asked themselves the above question in light of a recent study that links a lack of exposure to light to lower sleep quality in newborns.
The researchers, from the Department of Twin Research and Development, carried out the study using 140 sets of twins (180 individuals) with one twin exposed to continuous bright light and the other twin kept in complete darkness during their first two weeks after birth.
This was then followed by an experimental sleep condition, where half of both twins were given lights that were gradually dimmer over six weeks.
The results show a link between low levels of exposure to light and less sleep time for newborns as well as poorer quality sleep for them on weekdays compared with weekends.
Do newborns need a night light?
Should newborns sleep in a dark room? They should, so do newborns need any light then? Not necessarily.
Nevertheless, there are also pros and cons to owning a night light in your baby’s sleeping room, just like when it comes to humidifiers. If you feel more comfortable using light when your child is asleep in its room, or your shared room, that’s okay.
A night light is more for the parents than the infant. Once your baby gets used to their new surroundings they will sleep through the night no matter what room they are in.
If you need help getting to sleep, a night light can help keep you calm so you don’t feel anxious about darkness, although this should not be relied on as a permanent solution.
Although some people may believe that a nightlight is necessary because of monsters or other bad things under the bed, it is much more important than your child has grown accustomed to sleeping in complete darkness.
The newborn should not be startled by sudden flashes of bright light from any unexpected sources such as sunlight coming in through windows or street lights outside.
Summary
The less light a baby receives in the room, the better the sleep it will get. So, should newborns sleep in a dark room? That’s right, they should.
Of course, this does not mean that the room should be jet black. If you feel more comfortable, and if your baby feels more comfortable with sleeping with a nightlight, you can always use those.
Ensure that the light is dim enough that you can see your baby. It should stay on all night long, so the intensity of light remains constant.
Of course, this is all individual. You have to take into consideration a lot of things, like the baby’s age, preferences, as well as whether or not the baby prefers dim lighting.
