Baby sleep essentials: darkness
instead of stressing about sleep training, especially with teeny newborns, it’s best to establish healthy sleep habits. I’ve written about white noise. now let’s dive into keeping baby’s room dark.
from the time you bring baby home, they should sleep in a dark area. ideally, it is dark enough that you cannot see in front of you. there are many reasons a dark room facilitates healthy sleep.
why keep baby’s sleep area dark?
babies spent the entirety of their lives in the womb where it is dark. a very dark room will remind them the womb and comfort them.
babies aren’t born with an established circadian rhythm (aka sleep cycles.) going into a dark space for sleep and a bright space for play push them along toward setting up that circadian rhythm.
small babies can quickly get overwhelmed and overtired. calms them when they’re overstimulated or overtired
sleep signal
how can you keep it dark?
blackout shades / curtains (if you can’t hang them, you can buy stick-on shades)
blankets / blackout fabric over windows
cover lights with tape
for middle of the night changes or feedings, use a small light only if needed
I encourage you to add some supplies to darken your nursery to your registry. They will benefit baby and help establish long-term healthy sleep habits.
want to learn more about healthy sleep habits? set up a 1:1 postpartum preparation meeting with me or DM me on Instagram!
Hi there! I’m Gigi and am a postpartum doula in Orange County + beyond. I have three kiddos (including twins) and a high-school sweetheart-turned-husband. I’ve always been a teacher but realized I was meant to teach parents and help them through the fourth trimester. I love forcing my friends and family to listen to me talk about zero waste, reading YA novels, and watching terrible reality shows.
Want to chat (especially about Taylor Swift or DIY cleaning products or babies?) Connect with me through e-mail or on Instagram!
