How important is complete darkness for sleeping babies?

When people say, "sleeping like a baby," they mean peacefully, soundly, quietly... But the reality of a baby's sleep pattern is very different.

Sleep can become an obsession when it comes to babies, and parents can easily become overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing the right environment for their babies to sleep well.

One factor that is often overlooked is the importance of complete darkness in the sleep environment. In this blog post, we'll explore why complete darkness is important for sleeping babies and what research has to say about it.

Why darkness is important for sleep in general 

Human bodies are designed to follow a natural sleep-wake cycle, influenced by the presence or absence of light. When we are exposed to light, particularly blue light emitted by electronic devices, it suppresses the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin, and can disrupt our sleep patterns. Beyond window treatments, your nursery's LED bulbs may also be disrupting sleep by emitting 'junk light'. On the other hand, darkness promotes the production of melatonin and helps us fall asleep and stay asleep.

Do babies need complete darkness to sleep?

Darkness can definitely help babies recognize the difference between night and day, and establish a regular sleep pattern.

Research has shown that infants who are exposed to light during the night can experience disrupted sleep patterns, delayed sleep onset, reduced total sleep time and reduced quality of sleep. Many parents assume 'room darkening' is enough - here is why it is not, and the difference between Room Darkening vs Complete Blackout.

One study found that exposing infants to even low levels of light during sleep, such as the light from a nightlight, can affect their melatonin production and disrupt their circadian rhythms.

Additionally, exposure to light at night may increase the risk of developing myopia (near-sightedness) in children. A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that children who slept with a nightlight or left their bedroom door open were more likely to develop myopia than those who slept in complete darkness. The researchers suggest that this may be due to the disruption of melatonin production, which plays a role in eye growth and development.

Creating the perfect sleeping environment.

So, what can parents do to ensure their babies are sleeping well?

First and foremost, it's important to create a sleep environment that is as dark as possible. For a comprehensive step-by-step approach, see our updated guide: How to Make a Nursery Pitch Black for Better Baby Sleep. This means turning off all lights in the room, including any electronic devices with screens. If you need a nightlight to see when attending to your baby, choose one that emits a dim red light - it has been shown to have less of an impact on melatonin production. Installing 100% blackout shades can create the ultimate sleeping environment at any time of the day, and block out any external light sources.

Complete darkness is important for sleeping babies because it promotes the production of melatonin, helps maintain circadian rhythms and may reduce the risk of myopia. As parents, we can take steps to create a sleep environment that is as dark as possible to support our babies' sleep and overall health.

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References:

Carskadon, M.A., & Dement, W.C. (2011). Normal human sleep: an overview. In Kryger, M.H., Roth, T., & Dement, W.C. (Eds.), Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine (pp. 16-26). Elsevier Saunders.

Higuchi, S., Motohashi, Y., Liu, Y., Ahara, M., & Kanuka, M. (2014). Effects of VDT tasks with a bright display at night on melatonin, core temperature, heart rate, and sleepiness. Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(10), 1291-1296.

Li, S.M., Wu, S.S., Kang, M.T., Liu, Y., Jia, S.M., Li, S.Y., ... & Zhang, J.Z. (2018). Association of night-time sleep duration and myopia among children aged 6-12 years in urban China: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 102(5), 656-661.