Will a nightlight keep your child awake for longer or help them to relax and fall asleep faster at bedtime?
We’ve put together the pros and cons of using a nightlight to help you decide whether it is right for you and your child.
Pros
Fun designs available – if your child fights going to bed, having a fun nightlight that they’ve picked out themselves can help to make going to bed a more attractive prospect.
Makes it easier to check in on them – if you check in on your child before going to bed, a nightlight can make it easier for you to see that they’re sleeping soundly and comfortably.
Can relieve a child’s anxiety – at some point most children will go through a phase of feeling afraid of the dark or having nightmares. A nightlight can help to quell anxieties, relaxing your child and making it easier for them to fall asleep and have a restful night’s sleep.
Light the way if your child gets up in the dark – if your child needs to get up in the night for a toilet trip then a nightlight can make them feel more comfortable about doing so. This can be particularly useful if your child has bunk beds or a raised bed and has to navigate a ladder in the dark.
Cons
May disrupt your child’s natural sleep pattern – Scientific research shows that we sleep better in complete darkness and any kind of light, including artificial light, can disrupt our natural sleep pattern. A light sleeping environment can prevent the body from releasing the natural sleep hormone melatonin which is responsible for making us feel tired and helping us to relax and fall asleep.
Can be distracting – Some nightlights may have the opposite effect to what is desired and stimulate your child when you most want them to relax and go to sleep. This can be particularly true of nightlights that move or play music.
May cause a child to fear the dark – When babies are first born, they have no fear of the dark. By introducing a nightlight to their bedroom very early on they may grow up used to it always being light and so develop a fear of the dark as it is so unfamiliar to them.
Whether or not you choose to add a nightlight to your child’s bedroom is a personal choice, there is no right or wrong answer. Many people find that a child may need a nightlight during certain periods of their childhood, for example during toilet training, when they are sick, or if they become afraid of the dark. Children often grow out of these phases and then no longer require the nightlight.
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