Science says that the type of light used during bedtime and night wakings of your baby impacts their sleep and yours [1].

So how exactly does light affect your baby’s sleep?

This post explains the effect of light on your baby’s rest.

How Blue and Green Lights Affect Your Baby’s Sleep

Not all lights are created equal. Short wavelengths of light― blue and green― significantly reduce melatonin production and prevent sleep.

In particular, your baby’s body sees blue and green lights as daylight. So, even just a short, 5-minute exposure to blue and green lights at night makes your baby feel alert. You know what happens when babies feel alert: they find it hard to sleep.

For this reason, pediatricians ask parents to build nurseries free from blue and green lights. While they may look calming, you must not use lamps that emit them [2].

The Best Light for Your Baby’s Sleep

Since blue and green lights are bad for your baby’s bedtime, what’s the best light?

Simple: warm, dim lights.

Long-wavelength lights― red and amber― don’t interact with melanopsin receptors. So, they don’t prevent melatonin production. Since melatonin urges humans to sleep, your baby needs them for a calming rest.

Your baby also sees red and amber lights as virtual darkness, so they promote better sleep and overall health.

For these reasons, pediatricians recommend warm, dim lamps for nurseries to protect your baby’s sleep [2].

How to Prepare Your Baby for Bedtime

Since you know the best light for your baby’s sleep, let’s see how you can prepare your baby for a great night’s rest.

Preparing Your Baby’s Room

1. Create a calm, quiet room for your baby.
2. Use blackout blinds or curtains to make the room fully dark.3. Remove stimulating toys or anything that makes noise from the room.

Preparing Your Baby for Sleep

1. Expose your baby to natural light and fresh air

during the day. This helps set their sleeping cycle.2. Don’t expose your baby to sources of blue light (e.g. TV, tablet, and phone) at least two hours before bedtime. It might be tempting to give your infant a screen to play with or put them in front of the TV while you take a bath or clean up, but for their sake, don’t.
3. Make your baby’s bath time gentle and relaxing. If possible, dim the lights in the bathroom because they can overstimulate your baby.
4. After bathing your baby, help them unwind by reading them a story. Do this with dim, warm light. Draw the curtains or blinds, too.
5. Turn the lights off and use a warm lamp like Ergojojo.
6. Give your baby gentle cuddles and night-nights to create a sleep-inducing, comfortable environment. You can also gently rock your baby back and forth until they close their eyes.
7. Put the lamp at its dimmest. Leave it on if your baby gets hungry in the middle of the night.

Conclusion

Babies are adorable, but if you can prevent yours from transforming into a grumpy, not-ready-to-sleep infant at night, you better use warm, dim light.

Are you looking for the right lamp for your baby? Ergojojo night lights emit both warm and red lights. Made with child-safe, eco-friendly materials, Ergojojojo lamps help your baby fall asleep faster and sleep better. Order your night light now!

Sources

1. https://eu.thebshirt.clothing/blogs/breastfeeding-tips/the-effect-of-light-on-baby-s-sleep
2. https://www.somnilight.com/nursery-lamps-blue-light-and-sleep.html