There’s nothing more exciting than being a first-time parent. The anticipation of meeting your baby for the first time and getting everything your baby needs are all part of the excitement. New parents are excited to fill their homes with baby accessories, from baby bottles to cribs to diaper bags. Parents often forget about ensuring their nursery or bedroom is designed with a sleep sanctuary in mind.
Here are nine tips for creating a sleep sanctuary:
1. Keep the room dark at night
Ensure you have curtains or blackout shades to keep your baby’s room dark at night. Darkness tells the brain and the body that it’s time to sleep. Any light, especially blue light from screens, inhibits melatonin production and keeps your baby from getting good quality sleep.
2. Have a white noise machine
A white noise machine can help your baby sleep more soundly at night. The white noise can help mask other household noise, especially for those who live near noisy streets or have other older family members at home. Ensure that you keep the white noise machine a safe distance away from the crib and your baby. Some white noise machines are too loud and can affect a baby’s long-term hearing.
3. Regulate room temperature
Good sleep also depends on the room’s temperature. Even we adults have a hard time sleeping if the room is too hot or too cold. Babies sleep best when the temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure adequate air conditioning, ventilation, or heating to keep the room at these temperatures. Keep the temperature in mind when you’re planning your baby’s room.
4. Remove any distractions
Remove any distractions such as toys, mobiles, and baby projectors outside the bedroom or away from your baby’s crib or sleeping space. Your baby’s sleeping area should be a crib with a mattress, a fitted sheet, maybe a small pillow, and a lovey if applicable. Ensure also that you follow safe sleep guidelines when planning your child’s room.
5. Get a good mattress
Speaking of a safe sleeping place, get your baby the best mattress possible. Your baby will spend much of their life sleeping on their mattress. Their body is still soft and sensitive, so research and find the right mattress for them.
6. Keep it organized
If you keep your baby’s room organized, you have less chance of tripping over a walker or stepping on a squeaky toy when changing a diaper in the middle of the night. You also won’t need to turn on a light (that might wake the baby) when you need to sneak in for a nighttime feed.
7. Use soothing colors
Color can affect mood and physical well-being. This idea also applies when planning the color of your baby’s room. The best colors to keep a room calm and soothing are light or subdued blues, muted greens, and pale purples. These will keep your room conducive to sleep.
8. Keep the air clean
There’s nothing like sneezing to keep a baby awake at night. Dust, allergens, and dander can build up and cause allergies. You can keep your room air clean with an air purifier to ensure your baby doesn’t wake up due to sneezing fit.
9. Test the floors and keep them quiet
When you’re planning your baby’s sleep sanctuary, walk around the room and see if you notice any area that creaks or squeaks when you step on them. Fix any creaking floors to lessen any unnecessary noise in the room. If your baby learns that a squeaking floor means you’re about to enter the room, they will probably get excited every time .they hear a squeak or creak
Follow these tips to create a safe sleep sanctuary for your baby. When you can reinforce the idea that a room is primarily meant for sleeping, you’ll also help them get a good night’s sleep.