Should you really use a baby night light? Well, this a common question that numerous concerned parents tend to ask. The parents worry that the night light might disrupt the baby’s sleep or make them unsettled as they try to find some sleep. The answer to whether you should use a baby night light is yes, you should. A baby night light is highly recommended but not a requirement.
This, however, depends heavily on the baby’s age and the reasons that make you think the baby requires a night light.
Night lights can bring comfort to the baby especially those that are quite afraid of the dark or afraid of the so to call ‘monsters’ at night. However, babies younger than 2 years generally do not experience such discomforts brought about by darkness as they are accustomed to the darkness during the time they spent in the mother’s womb. This young baby probably can barely even understand this concept of fear or even still be able to imagine scary figures and monsters that might be lurking in the dark room.
The young baby might actually have a better sleep in the darkness.
One other reason why parents might use night lights is a result of habit, drawn from when the baby was being late-fed. Getting him to adjust using baby night lights is recommended.
Here are the main reasons why you should a baby night light
Brain Development
Medical practitioners suggest that a baby night light can indeed boost the brain development of a baby. They recommend that from birth to four months, the baby night light should be left on in the baby’s room, which helps in the visual developments of the baby.
Pacify babies who might have nightmares
After 2 years of age, most children are likely to develop a fear for the dark. Nightlights are proven to make the baby feel safer and help them fall asleep faster and more peacefully.
Nightly Visits
Most Parents will find that the night lights will help them even more than even the baby as they make visits to the baby’s room to feed them or check up on them.
Potty training
Night lights light up the hallway and bedroom making it easier for your baby to independently make trips to the potty. This helps them to learn even faster
When you choose to use a nightlight here are a few things you should put into consideration
- Place the night light facing towards the direction of the floor to avoid shining it directly into the baby’s face
- Install dim night lights in your baby’s room as bright night light might disrupt and mess up the baby’s sleeping rhythm. Dark environments stimulate the release of hormone melatonin which is vital for sleep.
- In case the baby feels better and peaceful when sleeping in the darkness, place the night lights outside the baby’s room or in the hallways
Remember, night light can affect each child differently and you should, therefore, understand why your child might need one, and the consequences of having one. You should also learn how to teach babies to crawl because babies tend to crawl at night”
All the best.