When trying to improve your child’s sleep whether you have a baby, a toddler, or a preschooler one of easiest changes to make is improving their sleep environment. Having said that, lets walk you through what an optimal sleep environment looks like.
Dark
At nighttime, when it is dark, our bodies produce a hormone called melatonin. This hormone makes us sleepy and helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. When it is bright, melatonin production is supressed, making it difficult to fall asleep. Babies are very sensitive to melatonin production and if exposed to light will not produce enough melatonin. For this reason, we want the room to be as dark as possible. To achieve this blackout curtains in your child’s room are essential. I suggest hanging them from floor to ceiling to prevent light from seeping in above and below. Electronic devices in your baby’s room such as wipe warmers, humidifiers, sound machines etc. can also emit a lot of light. In this case putting black tape over any lights on these devices can help a lot. Many sleep issues such as early morning wakings, night wakings and short naps can be drastically improved by ensuring your child’s room is as dark as possible when they are sleeping.
White noise
Playing continuous white noise while your child sleeps is a game changer for many reasons. The first being, it acts as a sleep queue when putting your child to bed. Every time they hear this sound their body will relax, they will become drowsy, and they will fall asleep faster. White noise also helps to block out background noise which is very helpful especially during nap time. Most importantly, playing continuous white noise while your child sleeps helps them connect sleep cycles. If your child falls asleep to a sound, when they lightly wake in between sleep cycles, if that same sound is still playing they will more easily drift into the next sleep cycle. This results in longer stretches of sleep both overnight and during naps.
Temperature
Always ensure your child’s room is a comfortable temperature. Children, like adults tend to sleep better in cooler environments. A room temperature between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Note, it is not uncommon for a babies extremities (hands, feet and nose) to be cool in this temperature. These are not a good indicator of your child’s body temperature. To check if your child is warm enough feel their belly. It should be warm (not cold or sweaty). This is the best indicator of your child’s body temperature and whether they are warm enough.
Creating an optimal sleep environment can drastically improve your child’s sleep. However, if there are bigger underlying issues present this will not fix the problem. If you are having trouble with your baby, toddler or preschoolers sleep and want to work 1-on-1 with me, check out my sleep programs or book a free call.
