Choosing A Nursery Nightlight: Which Is Best For Sleep?

Do you even need a nightlight in a nursery? And is there really one that will help baby sleep better? Keep reading to find out more!

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When designing a nursery, aside from maybe a ceiling light fixture, most people don’t think about any ambient lighting that may be in the room. You worry about bigger things like the safety of a crib mattress. When it comes to ambient lighting, you simply get a cute lamp, stick a bulb in it and call it a day.

However, most parents are using the wrong kind of light. I remember being a new parent and if you’re anything like I was, you’re usually sleep deprived, stressed and overwhelmed at all the things that come with that sweet little babe.

You want to do what’s best for your child, but naturally can’t do it all.

Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most important accessories for a nursery – nightlights! We all know how hard it is to get a good night’s rest with a newborn around. It’s even harder when you have an infant who wakes up multiples times during the night because they need a diaper change or want some comfort from mama or daddy.

Babies love routine and it’s our job as parents to give them one – which includes good sleep habits.

What’s one thing that can help them sleep soundly through the night? A good, nightlight. But how? Keep reading to find out!

Are Nursery Lamps Necessary?

Even if you have a dimmable light in their room, it’s best to use a nightlight or lamp especially in the earlier days and months so that you’re not using a bright overhead light.

Baby’s eyes are still developing once they’re born and the extra light from a ceiling fixture will start to take its toll on your little one.

Nightlights are also great for creating a cozy and calm environment in their room. Since babies really like routine, having a good nightlight in their room can really help them when it comes to recognizing the difference in daytime naps versus bedtime.

Lamps come in so many fun shapes and colors! You can pick one that fits perfectly with the color scheme or theme of your nursery. So if you have a sweet little princess themed nursery, you can get a lamp that looks like a horse drawn carriage like this one.

Nightlights are important for healthy sleep. A medical study released in 2018 showed that exposure to bright room lighting during sleep can inhibit melatonin production which will disrupt sleep patterns of your baby.

Why are white, blue or green lights bad for sleep?

By “blue” or “green” light, this doesn’t necessarily mean lights that are in that hue. They’re more about what the lights emit and how the eye reads them.

It’s why things like blue light blocking glasses exist for when you’re looking at your phone or a computer screen for a big part of the day. This is even more crucial to keep away from babies eyes as well.

Many parents use blue or green hue lamps, which are supposed to be soothing. They emit light similar to the sky during the day. Or think that dimming the hallway light while their baby is sleeping would be a good enough substitute for a real nightlight, but studies show even a very dim blue light has been demonstrated to reduce melatonin production by up to 50%.

With blue or green lights emitting bright light, it can cause your little one’s melatonin production (a hormone which controls sleep/wake cycles) to be disrupted which can do a number on their sleep.

What is a red nightlight?

The opposite of blue or green lights, red light simulates actual darkness. It’s similar to how we see things when we’re in a dark room. This is because it has the longest wavelength possible. So red i sin fact the best color light for sleep.

This means that it takes longer and more energy for our eyes and/or body to process what we see, allowing red light to work as the best kind of lullaby. Red light or any hue along that warmer spectrum will be better than a cooler color, like green or blue.

Why is a red color nightlight so important?

Now you know why blue or green lights are bad for your little one when it comes to sleep, but why is a red color light the best color light for sleep?

First off, it won’t affect your baby’s circadian rhythm which is their 24-hour internal clock that’s responsible for the body’s daily rhythms and help with staying asleep when necessary.

Red light has the least amount of energy and it helps babies and adults alike to divide their time spent in synch with sunlight.

Why are red types of lights so beneficial?

If you’re trying to find your way to improved sleep quality for your baby, having a good nightlight in their room is one of the best ways to do so.

A red nightlight is not disruptive to sleep cycles. As stated before in the medical study, those blue and white lights are disruptive to babies who are already asleep and make it hard to fall asleep in the first place.

In addition to the benefits of a red light, having a nightlight in your baby’s room isn’t just about making them feel safe when they wake up at night or during naps, but it’s also for you. It can be incredibly hard trying to manage a crying baby in total darkness – especially if you’re breastfeeding them.

But with a good nightlight, both you and your baby can sleep soundly through the night without any interruptions.

Or at least being able to find things in their room when interruptions do arise is helpful as well. You can keep little essentials like diapers or wipes near their bed so that you don’t have to stumble around in the dark to get them.

Best nightlight for sleep

There are different types of nightlights that you can get for your little one’s room. Some emit a low, steady light while others have an auto-timer to turn it off after a set amount of time. This is important because constant light isn’t good for sleep either!

Our favorite nightlight on the market is the Hatch Rest. Not only is it a nightlight in which you can change the color, it’s also a sound machine built in which is a must have in our household.

It’s an award-winning nightlight that you can control from your phone and can work as a two-way audio monitor as well. The Hatch Rest emits a low, warm red light which reminds us of fireflies (a feel-good way) to put your little one to sleep, and it has an auto-on or off feature so that you can set it to come on for bed times and go off when it’s time to wake.

And most importantly, it was developed by parents like yourself who were looking for a way to help their own little one sleep better at night (and during naps), and we believe they’ve done an amazing job helping babies all over the world do just that!

Best light bulb for baby’s room

If you want to get a lamp instead, that’s totally fine! We have had lamps in all of our kids rooms. You’ll just want to get a sleep promoting light bulb, and our pick for that is the Nite Nite Light Bulb by Harth.

This light bulb works by emitting an amber glow, but the best part is this is still LED which means it will last you forever! You can use it in your lamp and not have to worry about your little one hurting themselves on a light bulb that’s too hot.

This light bulb helps with routine, cues your baby to know it’s time for bed, and has been proven clinically to help with sleep patterns. The amber/red glow helps emulate the sunset, which helps tap into your baby’s body’s natural desire for that rhythm and routine we talked about earlier.

What other things should you consider when picking out a nursery lamp/nightlight?

• If possible, opt for soft red LED light bulbs for your lamps if you go that route. LED provides thousands of hours in a bulb and they aren’t hot to the touch so they’re safe to use in a nursery.
• Using a dimmable lamp allows you to adjust light levels and gradually darken the room for baby. This gives their body more time to prepare for restful sleep! If you don’t have a dimmable lamp, then just leave your nightlight on throughout the night so baby doesn’t wake up in complete darkness.
• You also don’t have to turn your lamp off if you want to go into baby’s room for a middle of the night feeding or diaper change. Keep it on low and let baby get back to sleep!
• New babies will wake up in the middle of the night no matter what you do! Don’t feel like a bad mom or dad if your baby still wakes. This is about implementing good habits and doing what you can to set yourself and your baby up for success!

If you’re a parent, you know that having a baby is an exciting time. But it’s also exhausting and stressful (especially for new moms). There are plenty of products out there to help make life easier and more enjoyable, including the correct nightlight to help your little one get a good night’s sleep.

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