I remember the excitement of planning my first child’s nursery!

We did not know what we were having, so we decided to go with primary colors – red, blue, and yellow! It was so bright!

We had bears everywhere - thanks to my mom and her excitement about becoming a grandmother! I was a novice at sewing (still am), but I found a friend to help me, and I made a comforter and simple curtains to put on the windows. There was a mobile over the crib, too!

 So, so much going on in that room!

 I am sure you probably felt that same excitement when planning your nursery!

 However, a LOT has changed over the years. New studies have shown that environmental conditions affect sleep – things like temperature of the room, the amount of light in the room, and noise!

 So, while we all love a pretty room, some of the most important items to check off your list – when you’re expecting AND especially when you’re planning to help your baby LEARN how to sleep efficiently and successfully on their own - lead me to the recommendations I have put together and that I always include in my sleep plans.

 Even if you’re not ‘officially’ trying to ‘sleep train’ your baby, there are things you can put in place that have nothing to do with asking your baby to sleep. These suggestions are adjustments you can make EXCLUSIVELY TO THE ENVIRONMENT in which your baby sleeps! They are easy things to change! So, why not change them, if it will help your baby sleep better, and potentially…longer?

 There are valid reasons for each of the recommendations I make, and I will try to explain those reasons, supported by science when possible.

SO, LET’S DIVE IN!

 1. MAKE A TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT

Why Does Temperature Matter for Sleep?

 Have you ever taken a poll of your friends to see what temperature they keep their house? Some people like to keep their temperature really warm in the winter and really cold in the summer. Having been brought up in Charleston, SC in the 1970’s (hello, inflation!) by working-class parents, we could not afford to keep our house below 78° in the summer and above 68° in the winter. Most of the time it was even lower than 68°! My husband’s parents were the same way.

So, when it comes to the temperatures we prefer in our home, being the penny-pinchers we are, and also liking things on the cooler side in the winter, we keep our home no higher than 68° during the day if that! In the summer, we keep the thermostat set at 77° during the day.

But at night, in the winter, we keep the thermostat set at 64 degrees; in the summer, we keep the thermostat set at 74 degrees.

WHY?

BECAUSE WE SLEEP BETTER!

And there is a reason we sleep better at the cooler temperatures.

But before I get into the science, let me say that on most sleep-centered websites (like the Sleep Foundation and some mattress companies), I have seen everything from 60° to 72° recommended for sleeping.

What happens when the temperatures at night are set on the low side?

Our core body temperature is regulated by our circadian rhythm. The range of that temperature varies, dropping in the evening to coincide with our brain’s melatonin secretion. When the room temperature is kept low, it further promotes our body’s natural drop in temperature, and that drop, in turn, improves sleep quality.

Our body begins to produce melatonin as darkness descends. As that melatonin floods the body, it tells the brain that it’s time for sleep.

(The opposite is true, as well:  as melatonin production slows down in the morning, it tells the brain it’s time to wake up.)

A cooler sleeping environment actually promotes higher melatonin production, encouraging sleep onset and more restful sleep.

I usually recommend  in my sleep plans that the temperature fall between 68° -72°, but verbally I recommend in the winter to keep it below 70°. Additionally, consider the fact that room temperatures that are too warm are associated with an increased risk of SIDS in infants.

MAKE A LIGHT ADJUSTMENT

The Science Behind It

There are so many scientific studies on how light impacts sleep! Suffice it to say it is one of the first questions I ask parents when early morning wakes are an issue. Just the little bit of light that can filter in around the edges of curtains is enough to impact the timing of the morning wake. Light can filter through your eyelids, and that light will tell your baby’s circadian rhythm it is time to wake up!

Most people have heard that blue light waves can affect melatonin production. And that is true. But you might not know that artificial lights – like incandescent and LEDs – also impact melatonin production. So, when I tell parents that it needs to be so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face, I really do mean it!

What About Night Lights?

Children younger than 2.5/3 really don’t have the ability to be afraid of the dark. The nightlights are for us, the parents! If you feel you need some kind of light in the baby’s room, make sure to use a red/amber nightlight. These colors – the colors of the sunset – do not affect the production of melatonin.

If the curtains/blinds in the room are not adequately covering up the light, you can buy inexpensive paper blinds from the big box stores. You can also order special curtains  and a specially designed curtain rod from Sleepout.com that tilts in at an angle at the top and curves around the outer edges, too! If you’re interested in a discount code, use stargazersleep and you will receive 10% off!

Other things to think about:  use electrical tape to cover up the little lights on your baby monitor, your wipe warmer, and anything else that emits even the smallest amount of light! It makes a difference!

How do you handle travel?

If you can bring your white noise machine (or if you have an extra iPad or smart phone to use as a white noise machine), you can definitely have that in place!

If you have a pack-n-play (or some other portable crib), purchase a Slumberpod and you will have an instant dark environment! (use the discount code stargazersleep) We use this set-up with our granddaughter and she sleeps very well in it!

If you’re in a hotel, turn that thermostat down! (and maybe bring a fan with you!)

And there you go! Instant ideal sleep environment!

Make it Boring

As much as we love the mobile hanging over the crib, the crib should only be for sleeping, not for playing or entertainment. Move that mobile to the changing table where it’s great to have a distraction!

Also, if you have lots of décor on the walls, or lots of toys in the room (hello, active preschooler in the middle of the night!), minimize the distractions these can cause. If it’s dark enough in the room, it shouldn’t matter. But if the room is brighter during the day, these distractions can impact sleep.

MAKE A SOUND ADJUSTMENT

There is limited scientific study on how and why white noise can help with sleep. More research needs to be done!

Environmental Noise

The main reason I recommend white noise is to mask environmental noises from outside the room. Whether it’s the neighbor’s truck cranking up in the morning or the A/C kicking on in the middle of the night, these noises can interrupt your baby’s sleep, and your sleep as well.

 The latest advice from the AAP is to keep the sound machine 7 feet away from where the baby is sleeping and to maintain a decibel level no higher than 60, about the same as a shower. This level should be loud enough to block out the dog barking!

Worried about how loud your sound machine is?

Download a decibel-measuring app on your phone and lay your phone in the crib where your baby sleeps to measure the decibel level!

If you have other kids in the house, it might be a good idea to use a device right outside the baby’s door as an extra layer of sound masking. The same idea applies when you have twins who wake each other up!

If you don’t want to buy anything, use a fan! Personally, that’s what I use! After so many years of listening to white noise when working overnight as a postpartum doula/sleep trainer, I really do like the benefits of having a consistent sound throughout the night! (Consistent sound is key - don’t use the sound of waves.)

So, here’s what I think are the most important concerns for your baby’s sleep environment!

 These guidelines appear in my sleep plans, and I ask parents to follow them closely!

Sleep Environment - Setting You up for Success.

• Light:  Cover windows to block out all light. You should not be able to see your hands in front of your face or the décor on the walls! If you need to hang sheets over the windows temporarily, you can use painter’s tape. Use electrical tape to cover up the light of any electronic devices, like the wipe warmer or the Nanit! There are inexpensive paper blinds available on Amazon or at Lowes/Home Depot that will eliminate the light around the edges of windows. If using a nightlight, use a red or amber-colored bulb (this light does not interfere with the production of melatonin). When baby is in her room alone, there is no need for any kind of light; babies this age do not possess the ability to be “scared of the dark”.

• Temperature:  The room should be relatively cool for sleeping and baby should be dressed in light and comfortable sleepwear. Don’t judge comfort by touching hands. Instead, feel baby’s back or chest. (67-72 degrees is ideal.) We all sleep better in cooler temperatures.

• White Noise:  Block out environmental noise; use a white noise machine, an app on a tablet or phone, or a loud fan. The noise should equal that of a shower (about 60 decibels). If you want to check the noise level, there are apps available to download for that purpose. Once you’ve downloaded it, you can hold your phone near the sleep space to determine the decibel level.

 A HEALTHY FOUNDATION

The best thing you can do for your little one when it comes to sleep is to set a healthy foundation. Part of that healthy foundation is setting up the ideal sleep environment. Will you be able to duplicate that everywhere you are? No, but with a few necessary portable things in place, you can come pretty close!

If you find yourself still struggling with your little one’s sleep, please know that you are not alone and that I am here to help. 

Contact me at stargazersleepconsulting@gmail.com  or visit my website at Stargazer Sleep Consulting.

References

 American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). AAP POLICY STATEMENT: SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. TASK FORCE ON SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME. In Pediatrics (Vol. 138). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2938

Figueiro, M.G., Rea, M.S. Preliminary evidence that light through the eyelids can suppress melatonin and phase shift dim light melatonin onset. BMC Res Notes 5, 221 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-5-221

Franco, P., Scaillet, S., Valente, F., Chabanski, S., Groswasser, J., Kahn, A. (2001). Ambient temperature is associated with changes in infants’ arousability from sleep. Sleep (3), 325–329. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/24.3.325

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 Portas, C. M., Krakow, K., Allen, P., Josephs, O., Armony, J. L., & Frith, C. D. (2000). Auditory Processing across the Sleep-Wake Cycle: Simultaneous EEG and fMRI Monitoring in Humans. Neuron, 28 (3), 991–999. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0896-6273(00)00169-0

Rosalez, Ephraim, Johnson, Carl Merle, Bradley-Johnson, Sharon & Kanouse, Sandra. (2020). Effects of White Noise on Off-Task Behavior and Sleep for Elementary-Age Students with ADHD. Child & Family Behavior Therapy. 42:1, 20-36, DOI: 10.1080/07317107.2019.1690735

Wright, Helen R. & Lack, Leon C. (2001) Effect Of Light Wavelength On Suppression And Phase Delay Of The Melatonin Rhythm. Chronobiology International. 18:5, 801-808, DOI: 10.1081/CBI-100107515

Xie Z, Chen F, Li WA, et al. A review of sleep disorders and melatonin. Neurol Res. (2017). 39(6):559-565. https://doi:10.1080/01616412.2017.1315864