The Best Sleep Environment For Babies
Ah, the joys of parenthood. Holding your baby in your arms, watching as they sleep peacefully—it's a moment to cherish. But what if your baby isn't sleeping well? It can be stressful for both parents and babies. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help create a good environment for sleep. Having an environment that is conducive to sleep plays a huge role in the quality and quantity of your child's sleep. It's also important to keep your baby safe while they sleep, and paying close attention to the sleep environment you set up for them is extremely important. And even if you can’t control much of how your baby sleeps, the sleep environment is something you have total control of! Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to set your baby up for optimal sleep.
Cave-like darkness is necessary
First, darkness is necessary for quality naps and a good night's sleep. It needs to be as dark as you can possibly get it. Do the hand test; Go in the room, turn the light off, and see if you can see your hand in front of you. If you can, it’s not dark enough! Your baby should maybe be able to make out the outline of you in the dark, but they should not be able to see your facial features.
The concept of cave-like darkness is crucial for babies because it helps them fall asleep and stay asleep longer. Babies should be exposed to daylight during their awake time, but you can definitely dim the lights later in the evening to help their body prepare for sleep. Another way that darkness aids in baby sleep is through their circadian rhythm (internal body clock). Your baby's internal clock tells them when they need to eat and sleep, so if your baby wakes up and sees light creeping in, they're not going back to sleep! The light triggers the hormone cortisol to be released, which tells your baby it’s time to wake up. That means, when the sun is rising early in the morning during the summer months, it may literally be causing your baby to wake with the sun.
As a new mom, everything I kept reading said you needed blackout curtains, but the light always seeped in from the top and bottom of the curtains. No one ever explained that you may need two layers of a solution to get the room as dark as you need it. It should be like a cave in the room - so dark so that your child can possibly make the shadow of you out but not your facial features. When I worked with a sleep consultant and she was explaining how dark the room had to be I DIYed a lot of stuff…sheets taped to the window, black trash bags, suction cup blackout curtains from Amazon - eventually I stuck with these.
To help create an ideal sleeping environment for your child with less light pollution:
Cover windows with blackout curtains or shades that turn down completely when closed; this will block out any natural light coming through windows in the morning, as well as artificial lights from passing cars at night. Make sure no light is seeping through cracks at the top or bottom of the curtains.
Use something like the SlumberPod! If you're traveling or your baby sleeps in a packnplay on the regular, the SlumberPod (Promocode: STEPBYSTEP20 for $20 off) is a perfect blackout (and privacy) solution
Limit noise (use white noise)
When your baby was in utero, they constantly heard white noise from your heart beating and your blood flowing. It’s comforting to them! It also helps us fall asleep faster and stay in deeper sleep. I recommend babies AND parents use white noise. Babies can be loud sleepers, and in order for parents to function the next day, they need to get sleep too! Trust me, your baby will let you know if they need you at night.
The best white noise is a fan, humidifier, or air conditioning. We’ve always used a fan as white noise for my son. These machines are designed to produce a steady sound that is not irritating to the ear and can drown out other noises. If you don’t have any of these devices in your home, then an app on your phone or a sound machine that plays white noise is also effective.
To get the most out of your white noise machine:
Position it between your child and the door or loud window so they can hear it better
Keep it about 6 feet from your child
Crank it up if you're up and moving about
The ideal decibel level is 55-60, about the volume of a shower running
Play it for the duration of the nap and nighttime
Ensure your baby's crib is safe and your baby is sleeping safely
Your baby needs an empty, boring bassinet or crib. Nothing “extra” in the crib is necessary for safe sleep - just your baby, in a swaddle or sleep sack! A sleep sack will keep them warm enough, but also safe since it’s basically a wearable blanket. When your baby was in the womb, they experienced resistance from the tightness of the womb. A sleep sack can mimic this feeling and be comforting for your baby.
Ensure your baby's bassinet or crib is safe and your baby is sleeping safely. Always lay them on their back
Make sure the mattress is firm and fits snugly in the crib.
Make sure your child fits within the weight and height recommendations per the crib manufacturer. (Many manufacturers will recommend a specific weight limit for their products.)
No loose bedding is necessary - use a sleep sack!
A good baby sleep environment can help your baby sleep better.
A good baby sleep environment can help your baby sleep better. The first thing to consider is the darkness of their room, since the light exposure they get while they're sleeping affects their circadian rhythm and melatonin and cortisol production, which can make it harder for them to fall asleep at night or make them wake early in the morning. White noise machines are also helpful when it comes to creating a soothing environment, that helps infants sleep soundly throughout the night.
Consider using blackout curtains or shades on all windows in your baby's room so that you don't have any streetlights, headlights or other sources of bright light coming into the room at night.
If necessary, you can use a Hatch as a night light for an older child.
Use only dim lamps on tables next to where you breastfeed or sit with your child during bedtime rituals such as story time. Red light is even better as it won't disturb your sleep as much as blue or white light.
Pro-Tip: When they’re old enough to be a part of it, have your child help with turning the white nosie on and the lights off as a part of their bedtime routine. My son used to run to his room and turn his white noise on all by himself - he knew it was time for bed!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that your baby is safe and getting enough sleep. If you're looking for help with this, that's exactly what I do here at Step by Step Baby Consulting! You can book a free call with me to learn more about working together.
