Providing your baby with the perfect sleep environment is key to helping them settle easily and sleep soundly. With the right setup, you can encourage healthy sleep habits while ensuring their safety. Here’s a guide to the essential elements of an ideal baby sleep environment.
1. Darkness is Key
Babies sleep best in a dark room, as light can disrupt their natural sleep hormones, like melatonin. Blackout blinds or curtains are a great investment to block out daylight and streetlights. Even a small amount of light can be disruptive to your little one’s early mornings or naps, so keeping the room as dark as possible is crucial. If blackout blinds are not an option then anything you can think of to make the room darker would be beneficial.
2. White Noise for a Calm Atmosphere
Adding white noise to your little one’s sleep environment can be a lifesaver for many parents. It is a great auditory cue for your little one that it is now time for sleep and it also helps mask household or external noises that might disturb their sleep. My favourite is ‘rain white noise’ as it sounds so natural and relaxing. The following sounds are also great:
White noise
Pink noise
Brown noise
Rain white noise
We play our ‘rain white noise’ on a Google Home mini which I highly recommend. You could also use a consistent, low-volume white noise machine or app to create a calming background sound.
3. The Right Sleeping Bag
A baby sleeping bag keeps your little one cosy without the risk of loose blankets, which can pose a suffocation hazard. Choose a sleeping bag with an appropriate TOG rating for the room temperature to ensure your baby is warm but not overheating. Cotton and natural fibres are recommended choices for sleeping bags and my favourite brand is Ergopouch.
4. Temperature
Temperature plays a significant role in your baby’s sleep quality. Babies and toddlers cannot regulate their body temperature independently and depend on us to dress them properly and maintain a consistent room temperature. Red Nose Guidelines don’t specify an exact room temperature however, many babies and toddlers wake more frequently in the early hours of the morning due to feeling cold—even during summer.
The key is to dress your little one at bedtime for the coldest part of the night which falls around 4am-5am. This may mean you need to cool down or warm up the room accordingly. This will ensure they stay warm and comfortable throughout their sleep.
5. A Safe Sleep Environment
The foundation of any sleep environment is safety. Always place your baby on their back to sleep in a cot or bassinet with a firm mattress and a fitted sheet. The sleep space should be free of toys, pillows, or loose bedding to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). See my blog ‘A guide to safe sleeping practices’ or visit the Red Nose Australia website for more information on this.
Sleep Environment
Creating the perfect sleep environment takes a little preparation, but it pays off in better, safer sleep for your baby. A dark, calm room, paired with safe and soothing sleep essentials, helps everyone in the family get the rest they need to thrive!
Nurture Chat- phone consultation
If you’d like tailored advice and guidance on your little one’s routine and sleep without the support period then the Nurture Chat single phone consultation would be right for you.
Inclusions:
Online Sleep Questionnaire about your little one’s current sleep situation
A 45 minute phone consultation
Emailed PDF of your tailored sleep recommendations
For more information about the Nurture Chat Phone Consultation click here
Nicole Jayawickreme
Certified Baby Sleep Consultant and Registered Nurse (Neonatal Intensive Care)
I’m a certified sleep specialist, neonatal intensive care nurse, wife and a mother of 3 beautiful little children. I know first hand how important sleep is and I am here to help you and your family with my sleep programs so that you all can thrive.
I will guide and empower determined parents like you, to get the sleep you desperately need so that you have the energy to be the best parent that you can be!
Are you ready to have a happy,
well-rested sleeper?
If you’re exhausted and uncertain of where to begin, know that I’ve been there too.
Let me show you how to navigate sleep with ease for a happier, well-rested family!
Fill out my Contact Form and I’ll be in touch
Comments