Posted on 12/04/2017
Does it matter if your child sleeps with the light on? What if she's afraid of the dark? How can you help your child get a good night's sleep? A little bit of chemistry mixed with some practical tips will have you and your child on the way to a peaceful night's sleep in no time.
Why a Dark Room Is Important
Did you know that children sleep most soundly when they're in a completely dark room? An understanding of how our brains respond to light and darkness is important to helping your child achieve healthy sleep. Starting when a baby is between 3 and 4 months old, the chemical melatonin, sometimes referred to as "the darkness hormone," is the body's natural way of regulating sleep according to day/night cycles. How does it work? The basic idea, as explained in this article, is that "Melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland, is the messenger that announces bedtime to our brains. Darkness stimulates its release into the bloodstream; light inhibits it."
How To Achieve Complete Darkness
If you live in a well-lit area or in a place where it's still light out when you put your child to bed, be sure to have room-darkening shades or curtains on the windows. (Cardboard can also work in a pinch.) If you can, choose darker colors for walls and other furnishings, so any light you can't eliminate is at least not reflected on other surfaces. If the light must remain on outside your child's bedroom door, be sure to close the door. Of course, you'll want to make sure your child's overhead light is off, too.
How To Lessen Nighttime Fears
We all know that it's not at all uncommon for children to be afraid of the dark. Of course, with fear comes adrenaline and all kinds of other chemicals that stimulate wakefulness, fighting against the sleep-inducing power of melatonin. So what's a parent to do? First, don't assume your child will be afraid of the dark. Sometimes parents can unwittingly encourage a fear that may not actually be natural. If your child is accustomed to sleeping in a dark room with no night light and with the door closed since infancy, darkness can be seen as a natural part of bedtime. Sometimes though, with increased imagination, even children who are used to sleeping in a dark room can become fearful. In such a case, you can help decrease the chances of such fears by making darkness more friendly. Maybe you can have a candle-lit dinner or sing together in a completely dark room. You can also discourage frightening imagination by staying away from scary stories or movies.
Since sometimes a sense of hearing is heightened when nothing can be seen, a noise machine or quiet, peaceful music may also help. When your child knows that all the same familiar, comforting sounds and textures await him or her in bed, the darkness can become less scary and even be a welcoming friend.
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