Light and sleep
A darker room means less stimulation around your child. This will help calm and settle them. A darkened room also tells your child that it’s time for rest.
Once your child is in bed, they’ll sleep better if the amount of light in the room stays the same while they’re asleep.
Noise and sleep
Some children can settle for sleep and stay asleep with a little bit of background noise. Others prefer a quiet environment. And children often wake up easily to sudden noises or to changes in the amount of background noise.
It might be easier for your child to go to sleep and stay asleep when noise levels are kept consistent.
Tips for managing light and noise
These tips can help you reduce light and keep noise consistent in your child’s sleep environment:
- Block out sudden noises. You could close the windows and doors, hang heavier curtains or a blanket over windows, and/or put a draft blocker under the door.
- Block out morning light and noise with closed windows and doors, window coverings and so on. If your child can’t hear the sounds of traffic or other early risers, it might help your child sleep longer in the morning.
- Try low-level noise in the room where your child sleeps. Soft music can help children fall asleep. White noise or rain sounds might soothe your child if they wake easily. These can also block out sudden noises.
- Try dimming the lights as you get your baby or young child ready for bed. In the daytime, closing blinds or curtains will help your child sleep.
If you use a device to produce soft music, white noise or rain sounds, place it well away from your baby’s ears and keep the volume low. This protects your child’s hearing. And be aware that your child might come to depend on these sounds to get to sleep. You can look into phasing out sleep habits if this becomes an issue.