Baby night light: yes or no?
A small soft light can help the sleep of newborns or it is better to prefer the complete darkness? And wanting to leave a small bright spot on, Which tone and types are preferable? To clarify this parental doubt, we talk about it with the pediatrician Alberto Ferrando, author of the bestseller "The book of sleep - What to know and what to do for your baby's happy sleep" (Edizioni Lswr), also adding a tip from the researcher Sofia Axelrod, author of "Sleep all night".
In this article
- Baby night light: pros and cons
- Newborn night light color
- The benefits of red light according to Sofia Axelrod
- Nursing night light
Baby night light: pros and cons
Doctor Ferrando, could the night light for newborns be useful? What are the pros and cons?
"Babies are used to the darkness of baby bump, even if they see some light. Therefore, for them, the natural condition of rest is certainly the total darkness. For this, I discourage to use a night light. Instead, it is useful to gradually accustom them to sleep during the day, not in complete darkness: therefore with windows without the curtains drawn and moderate lighting. The night, however, is the time of darkness. It is important, because the light prevents the formation of the melatonin, the hormone that facilitates and maintains sleep. At most, you can keep one on emergency light a low intensity, therefore not dazzling, more than anything else for facilitate parents in the movements. A different speech must be made for children a little larger, which they might have fear of the dark: then, you can grant a small light point turned on, but always of low intensity ".
Newborn night light color
If you want to use only a small light point, are there any shades or types that you recommend?
"Le luci bitchy o amber have an effect relaxing, so I would definitely focus on these shades. In addition to, as mentioned before, in luci a very low intensity, not bright. There are also lights on the market that turn on with one touch, useful for facilitating the practicality of management and the movements of parents ".
The benefits of red light according to Sofia Axelrod
In this regard, Sofia Axelrod, a mother of two and a sleep researcher, has developed a method, detailed in the book "Go to sleep all night", in which the Red light plays an important role. The author confirms the importance of an environment completely dark, in which to place a small red light. Specifically, he recommends buying one LED light, which emits the equivalent of 60 watts. There are several on the market, some of which even emit a white noise background which can facilitate the baby's sleep.
Nursing night light
Can a soft night light be useful for breastfeeding mothers?
"From this point of view, certainly yes. Better to keep one on soft light rather than turning on a lamp or even worse a dazzling light to check if the baby is asleep or when it is time to breastfeed him. I recommend the same types I talked about earlier, then small dim lights red or amber in color. They will be enough to allow the mother to move in the dark and at the same time they will not abruptly interrupt the baby's sleep. "
The interviewee
Alberto Ferrando he has been a family pediatrician since 1978, and has been involved in dissemination and courses for years. He is the author of numerous articles for various newspapers and since 2022 he has been talking to mothers and fathers through his blog.
Sofia Axelrod is a researcher. You are involved in neuroscience and the study of sleep in the laboratory of Michael W. Young, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Medicine, at Rockefeller University in New York. She studied in Germany at Eberhard-Karls-University in Tübingen and at Humboldt University in Berlin, where she received her doctorate in biology in 2022. "Sleep all night" is published by Sperling & Kupfer
TAG:
- baby and sleep
- newborn 0-3 months
