Gone are the days when parents had to struggle a lot for their baby’s sound sleep all night.
Nowadays, many materialistic things have taken over the duties to keep your baby calm all night. Among those things, the night light is also the one that is now considered as one of the most important baby essentials that every nursery requires.
Good quality and well-placed night light can do a lot for your baby’s sleep. By emitting a soft glow, a night light illuminates the surroundings without hampering the sleeping hours of your little one.
The night light comes with several features due to which it is a useful ally for both babies and parents in daily life.
There is much more to know about a night light for babies’ room and how a night light can help your baby sleep tight? So, join me in this article to explore more about night light and learn the importance of this baby essential in daily life.
After reading this article, I hope you will be able to get the most out of it.
Table of Contents
What Is a Night Light?
As the name indicates, a night light is a source of light that you use at night. These are basically designed to illuminate the surrounding by emitting a soft glow which is not too bright to sleep.
These night lights help your baby with the dim and soft light to have the best sleeping hours.
It is a must to mention that these lights aim to relieve nyctophobia (fear of the dark) which is very common in young children.
With a soothing and delicate glow, these lights reveal the room’s overall layout without the need for other bright lights to be switched on. In return, this gives the baby a sense of familiarity and overall safety, which helps them to fall asleep quickly.
By giving continued calmness to your baby throughout the night, these night lights also create longer sleep intervals, which is also a necessity for your little kids’ good health.
What Are the Benefits of Night Lights?
Among the benefits of night light, the first and foremost, it is helpful for toddlers or young children who begin to have nightmares or nyctophobia.
Using a night light in your young one’s room can help him feel safe, which ultimately makes it easier for them to sleep.
Secondly, your baby can walk through a dark room safely in the presence of night light without hurting himself. Once your baby is toilet trained, then the night light can show him the way to the toilet.
With the soft illumination of night light, your baby can quickly locate his lovie/ teddy bear/toys in the darkroom.
This source of light is as much beneficial for parents as for babies. Interestingly, parents can keep an eye on their little one, and especially these lights are practical for keeping necessary low light during nighttime feedings and diaper changes.
I can easily say, once your duty as a parent is accomplished, you can rely on a night light to see your baby through the dark and return to sleep
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What Color Night Light Is Best for Sleeping?
The color of the night light is crucial for the proper sleep of your baby, as it can also affect the overall functionality of a night light.
Most of the parents prefer calming blue or white color night lights, but according to a research, these colors boost attention and reaction times. Due to this, these colors are most likely to put your baby to sleep slowly.
The best colors which I would recommend are orange, red or yellow. You might be wondering how can these be best as a night light color? You must be familiar with these colors as these colors are prominent in the twilight of sunset, which is a natural indication of going to bed.
I suggest you to implement this color because apart from being a very natural color, your baby will also find red or orange as very soothing colors, which can mean sleep better.
Experts also suggest red light to be used as a night light because it is considered the first colored light your baby would have seen in the womb. Due to the familiarity with this color, yellow, red or orange color night lights are considered the best for sleeping.
When Is a Good Idea to Use a Night Light ?
It’s a good idea to have a night light on for your toddler, especially when you see things start getting complicated.
For example, when you see you kid between the age of 2 years is having nightmares or develop a fear of the dark, you must consider adding night light to his room. Adding night light can give him some relief and comfort, which he needs to sleep.
No doubt understanding the core reason of what is scaring your child is significant, and you must address the issue first. But if you see your baby really needs a night light, let him have it because it can comfort him.
Most of the parents prefer using nightlights for young babies than for infants. Well! It’s good to use night lights for younger children and make sure the night light isn’t too bright.
A bulb of 4-7 watts can be great but must not be too bright to affect your baby’s eyes. You can also use night light for potty training of your newly toilet-trained child.
When It’s Time to Turn Off the Light ?
It’s crucial to know when it’s time to turn off the light to encourage prolonged sleep.
I believe darkness is what makes our brain to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin. So, when you turn off the lights, it actually encourages the sleep environment.
Always remember, having too much bright lights in the room can disturb the circadian rhythms, and your baby can end up suffering from insomnia.
So, I suggest you to turn off all the bright lights at least 60 minutes before bedtime and prepare for your calming bedtime routine with your little one. More importantly, when you see your child playing instead of sleeping, then you can gradually dim the light by lowering the wattage for days or so to encourage your child’s sleep.
Conclusion
It’s a good idea to spend a little bit more on a quality night light to help your baby in his struggle to sleep. A good night light can last forever and can save you from the hassle of buying again.
So, if you plan to use a night light in your baby’s room, then make sure you are buying the one designed to encourage sleep instead of hindering it.
As I have already recommended, prefer warm colors in night light for babies’ room like red, orange or yellow instead of using blue, white color nightlights and let your baby sleep fearlessly.