Creating an Ideal Sleep Environment
When it comes to baby and toddler sleep, we are quick to overcomplicate their sleep environment. Making a Pinterest-worthy nursery or bedroom shouldn’t be our top priority, but sometimes it seems that way. I’m not innocent either - I love walking into a room and immediately loving it. The thing is, it doesn’t have to look great to work great. The functionality of your child’s room should be the priority.
There are a few main factors to consider when setting up a child’s room…
Where are they going to sleep?
How dark is it during the daytime?
How dark is it at nighttime?
How warm is the room?
What is my child going to wear to sleep?
Is there a noise machine blocking out any other noises?
When the components of the ideal sleep environment are laid out, they do seem so logical.
Of COURSE I have somewhere for my child to sleep. Of course it’s dark. The list goes on…
But in reality, some times we don’t have those things figured out. If your child is under 3, they should be in a safe sleep space that has walls. Whether that is a bassinet, a pack n play, a mini crib, or a standard crib. Of course, always following the manufacturers instructions on weight and other safety limits.
If your child is over 3 and in a big bed, is there bed low to the ground so if they roll off, they won’t hurt themselves? If their bed is high, is there a toddler rail blocking them from rolling off the bed?
Darkness is another huge sleep environment factor that matters. Daytime darkness is one of the main predictors of a good nap schedule. Babies who sleep in a lighter environment wake up earlier in the day and they also frequently have short naps that last 30-45 mins (1 sleep cycle).
Making sure that your child’s sleep environment is as dark as possible is the best thing you can do. My favourite blackout solution is the BlackoutEZ window covers, but garbage bags and tinfoil also do the trick.
Another factor we need to think of is temperature. The ideal temperature in the room while we’re asleep should range anywhere from 16-20 degrees Celsius (which may feel shockingly cold!). A cool room helps our body fall into a great sleep - paired with a proper sleep sack and we’re laughing.
The final thing that I recommend every parent uses in their child’s room is a white noise machine. White noise machines don’t lull a child into sleep, but they seriously help block out external environmental noises from waking them up too early. The doorbell ringing, a pot banging in the kitchen, the TV playing…these are all things that shouldn’t wake up your baby while a white noise machine is in use.
When it comes down to it, creating an ideal sleep environment for your child should be a huge priority. It doesn’t need to be picture-perfect, but it does need to be safe and functional.
If you feel like you’ve created the ideal sleep environment and your child still isn’t sleeping well and you need help, let’s schedule a discovery call today to see if we’d work well together.
