Should I use a night light?

So many parents ask me about night lights. Do I need one? What color? What if they don’t like the color I want? Keep reading.

Have a baby under 2? Start here. 

First, the physiological availability to have a fear of the dark doesn’t develop until close to the age of 2, when imagination becomes developmentally available. If your child is younger than 2, the best practice is to keep nightlights off, and the environment super dark.

What if I need to assist them overnight?

If you do need a light to help them overnight, red/amber/warm tones do not disrupt the release of melatonin. Bright, cool tones signal to the brain that you need to wake up and can trigger a cortisol release. This gets in the way of that melatonin release and can disrupt sleep. 

But why shouldn’t I use one?

Younger babies have a lot of FOMO and sometimes light, of any color, creeping into their room can be really distracting for sleep and create challenges falling asleep or staying asleep/short naps. Since infants aren’t able to fear the dark, the best practice for good sleep is cave-like darkness with no light of any color!

Have a child over 2? Start here.

When do I add a night light?Put very simply: when they ask! Some kids do just fine with the continued darkness, and some start preferring a little more light. Both are okay. 

What if my child wants a night light but not red?

You have a few options here! I was in the same boat. 

Option 1: Let them fall asleep with a different color and then turn it off once they are asleep.

Option 2: Let them fall asleep with a different color and then turn it red once they are asleep. 

Option 3: Let it be and see what happens! If sleep is affected, re-evaluate. If it isn’t, then leave it be!

Remember there’s usually more than one right answer. Choose the one that works best for your family and individual child! My oldest has a regular night light and sleeps fine. My littlest has a red light because brighter lights were disruptive for him. 

Whatever works for you is always okay!

PS:  If you are looking for a night light, I have my favorites linked in my amazon storefront!