Newborn nursery lighting is critical for the development of your bundle of joy. Safety, stimulation, and something you thought was lost, sleep, are all benefits of getting your baby’s room lighting perfect. It can be challenging, but you don’t have to worry, as we’ve got you covered right here.
Aiding with Sleep Routines
As a new parent, it is highly likely you are beginning to miss how much you slept. Over the months, your sleep patterns have to align with the baby’s so you can sleep at the same time and care for your child when you are both awake. Yet, no matter the routine, baby sleep can regress at different stages. You may notice some of the 9 month sleep regression signs that disrupt your routine. Lighting will help soothe the baby and help get them back to dreamland healthily.
Your Baby’s Visual Development
Beautiful baby blues, browns, and whatever other color eyes are developing at a rapid pace. However, being fresh out of the oven, so to speak, baby eyes are much more sensitive to light. It helps with their visual development to control the lighting in the baby’s sleeping environment:
- Softer, controlled lighting helps baby eyes develop as light sensitivity decreases.
- A variety of colors supports the healthy development of tiny retinas and optic nerves.
- Dimmer lighting encourages the baby to look around the room and explore visually.
Controlling the lighting in the baby’s room removes the chances of any harmful effects that light can have. Just with some of the simple changes mentioned, your baby’s eye health gets off to a great start and helps them get used to a calm and relaxing space for them to feed and sleep.
Newborn Nursery Lighting and Circadian Rhythm
So, what is the Circadian rhythm? Put simply, it is your body’s natural clock, which we use for daily and nightly activities such as working and sleeping. However, newborn babies don’t have a Circadian rhythm yet. Instead, they use 50 to 60-minute sleep cycles over 16 hours per day. And as you know, wake up during the night. Light and dark play a crucial role in the Circadian rhythm. So, you can kickstart your baby’s sleep patterns by controlling the environment’s light.
A Warm and Nurturing Environment
Babies need to feel secure, and as a parent, you must nurture the needs of your special little one. Warmth comes from all manner of sources when raising a child, not just temperature. A warm environment, such as the nursery, is filled with vivid colors, soft decorations, and non-intrusive lighting. A soft glow and warm hues provide a sense of security to a baby and a more pleasant atmosphere for you as a parent, boosting your overall sense of wellbeing.
Setting the Mood of the Room
There are times when we need the right mood at the right time. Raising a child is stressful, and at least the nursery should provide an escape. After all, this is where your baby sleeps, and you feed them. A cozy and relaxing space can be hard to achieve. But something as simple as softer and more palatable lighting makes a huge difference. It makes a difference to your baby’s sleep and enjoyment, but it can also help you express yourself and nurse by relieving stress.
Controlling Newborn Nursery Lighting
You can buy all the newborn nursery lighting gadgets you like and decorate the room in a fun and cozy way. However, there’s one thing you may not account for, and that’s the massive light in the sky! The sun has a way of interfering, and it helps to block it out a little in some ways.
Curtains and blinds
Natural light can be harsh when the sun is strong, and this will strain a newborn’s eyes. Simple curtains and blinds help you control sunlight and balance your hormones post-pregnancy.
Different types of bulbs
On dull days or during the night, you will need artificial lighting. Standard bulbs generate a lot of heat and can damage newborn eyes. Fluorescent and LED lighting are kinder to baby eyes.
Using surrounding landscaping
Plants and shrubbery outside the window make the overall ambiance more pleasant. However, plants can also provide an excellent barrier between the harsh sun and the baby’s little eyes.
It can be tempting to adorn a baby’s room with plenty of natural sunlight, and sunlight is indeed healthy for us. But it can be too harsh on a baby’s new eyes. As they develop, it is better to block some of the sun and gradually introduce more natural light as your baby develops.
Balancing Natural and Artificial Light
Blocking out some portion of sunlight will reduce the strain on your baby’s eyes. However, you must control and balance the amount of natural light your baby is exposed to. Of course, direct sunlight on a baby’s eyes could be dangerous. Positioning cribs and changing tables to face away from the sun makes use of the light without hurting the baby. You can compensate for dark spots or closed blinds by using soft artificial lighting, which obviously comes in handy at sunset!
Illuminating with Layers
You can block out the sun altogether if you are concerned, but that introduces the issue of the dark! As an adult, the solution would be to simply switch on the light in the room. But this can be a bad idea for a baby. Certain types of lighting, the direction, and even heat from a bulb can impact how your baby develops. Layered lighting is a better solution. With layered lighting, you use varying levels and hues from multiple sources instead of one bright light on the ceiling.
Newborn Nursery Lighting to Avoid
Getting lighting in your home right is hard enough, and there are many articles about this. But when you introduce a baby to the environment, you also have many things to consider. Not just any light is okay for the baby. For example, halogen lights are harsh on a baby’s eyes and give off heat, while solid white light disrupts sleep patterns. In the UK alone, around 70,000 children are taken to hospital each year, so floor lamps that can fall over should also be avoided.
The Benefits of Smart Devices
You’ve undoubtedly heard of smart devices. Your phone, tablets, and virtual assistants can control compatible technologies, making life easier in many ways. One of the most common uses for smart devices is controlling lighting in the home, with numerous benefits for a nursery:
- You can control when the lights in the baby’s room turn on and off.
- Compatible bulbs can be brightened gradually so the baby’s eyes can adjust.
- You have direct control over the brightness, softness, and color of the lighting.
Almost all smart devices can be controlled remotely. This means you can change the colors and softness and turn the lighting in the nursery on or off. The immediate benefit is controlling the environment. But it also means you never have to enter the room and disturb the baby!
Night Lights, of Course
Lighting a nursery can become a little technical, and it’s easy to overthink. All you really want is a cozy atmosphere for yourself and the baby. So, of course, it could simply be a case of buying some nightlights. Nightlights are designed with babies and children in mind. So, they are usually set at just the right level to provide the lighting you both need without reducing comfort. They are also efficient and made from materials that are approved to be baby- and child-friendly.
Summary
If only to help your baby sleep better, newborn nursery lighting plays a critical role in your child’s development. Choosing the right lights is challenging, and you have to think about the sun too! There are many products available, such as smart devices, but good old nightlights are enough.
