Gettingyour babies to sleep is similar to rocket science,as no one got the exact formula for doing so.
To ensure a sound sleeping atmosphere, parents of newborn babies buy cute night light projectors with light shows and music. But, the thing is, do light projectors help babies sleep, or are they just nothing more than some marketing advertisements?
If you are thinking of a gadget to help your babies sleep and end up buying a night light projector, then don’t be disappointed when they don’t work!
Manufacturers claim them to be working, but the researchers tell different stories. For example, scientists have discovered that the shorter wavelength and blue lights emitted by night light projectors have many adverse effects on the sleep pattern of babies.
If you consider buying light projectors for your babies, you need to read this article!
Do light projectors help babies sleep?
At the starting of the whole article, we would like to be super exact and straightforward about the relation between light projectors and your baby’s sleep. And this, we go with the answer, which is a big “no” from our side!
Often when it comes to babies, parents become eager to do anything for the sake of their goodnight-sleep. The modern technology of today’s world has also brought so many gadgets for the same purpose.
One such excitingthing is a night light soother or light projectors. They often come with pleasant music, white noise, starlight shows,etc. But, to your surprise, if we consider one of them to help your babies for sound sleep, you’ll find them to fail as science proves it wrong.
A night light projector may seem attractive, cute, and advertised with sleep claiming properties. Still, in practical life, they add more to the problem.
Light projectors contain all the colors of the lights of a rainbow, and various light colors and bright spots of starlight shows hamper your babies’ sleep. In addition, the wavelength of different colors of light disrupts the sleep biology of babies.
Light projectors generally come with wavelengths ranging from 460-480, considered short.Examples of such shorter wavelength lights are blue, white, green, purple, and even dim lights emitting from a light projector, which negatively impacts the sleep pattern. In addition, they reset the body’s internal setting to a later schedule and thus end up doing no good.
Again, through various research, scientists have proved that long-time exposure to white and blue lights inhibits melatonin production in babies. Melatonin is such a hormone thatit is the prime cause for humans to sleep. Not only that, but melatonin also determines how much time a person will remain at rest.
Decreasing the production of this hormone will only cause adverse effectson your baby’s sleep. Red light is the better option than any other colors for bedtime.
Also, light projectors emit blue lights, which is similar to using mobile phones, laptops, computers, and TVs. So, it is always suggested that your childavoid gadgets at least 1 hour before sleeping by the sleep experts. As a result, choosing any light projector is never a good choice that we would suggest from our parenting guide!
Also read: Does It Have To Be Dark For A Projector To Work?
What are the things to look at for getting the best night light projector soothers?
Below is the guide you can follow in case of purchasing a night light projector for your baby, which will be better compared to other models in the market-
- Choose a light projector that emits the soft light. In such a case, a red light is suggested most of the time, avoiding other bright lights, especially the blue one.
- The most important thing about light selection is keeping wavelength in mind. The higher the wavelength, the better sleep soother it will be. A shorter wavelength changes the sleep anatomy of your babies.
- Another great choice is a night light projector with controllable white noise.
- It would help if you always chosea light projector that provides color filter selection. In such a case, go for the red filter all the time.
- There are also various options for the light projector. One of which is the automaticturning off projection of lights after 20-30 minutes without noise cancellation because white noise is the main game for a good sleep.
- In light projectors with starlight shows, choose the option of a still light show because the rotating ones will be too distracting for your babies.
Should my baby room or nursery be pitch black?
Yes, a pitch-black room is ideal for your baby to sleep. It helps them in a very stress-free way to rest and produce the highest amount of melatonin. Melatonin production becomes more heightened when it is dark than in any other situation.
So providing any light is unnecessary for your nursery. However, some babies are extra sensitive to light and thus get congratulated and distracted by the lights and go through a hard time sleeping. In such a case, a light night projector exacerbates the scenario even more as they come with various light colors and cause more distraction.
Also, many parents keep the door of their baby’s room a little bit open so that they can change their baby’sdiapers with the light coming from hall rooms.
How dark really can it be in the nursery at night time?
Well, it depends on your perspective and according to the adaptation level of your baby that you have noticed all the time. A dark pitch room is no problem, but if you don’t want it, you can go with other options.
In the case of lights, choose the red plug-in night lights, which are simply the best option above all the existing lights in markets. You can keep them on throughout all night long or can also switch them on and off according to your needs.
Also, you can keep them behind any furniture to avoid direct contact with your baby and distracting them more.
What color of night light projector is best for the babies to sleep?
If you see virtually, then all artificial lights tend to affect your baby’s sleep, but all categories of the lights don’t have the exact similar impact.
With that being said, red light is the dominant one in the case of wavelengths with a much higher range than blue lights and other night light projectors.
Although red color light is not considered to improve sleep,it won’t cause trouble anyway. This is because they don’t cause any hindrance in the melatonin production and changing of the body’s internal clock.
A red night light projector also produces enough light to do work like changing diapers. In addition, it causes the minimum level of distraction to your baby.
Do light shows work for babies to sleep?
As told before, you are already aware of this answer that light shows are distracting for your babies rather than doing any good.
Turning off and on the light shows causes so much trouble to the babies and distracts them throughout the whole night.
Last but not least, tons of various wavelengths, colors, and effects of the light shows are tremendously unacceptable, which you would never want your babies to go through.
What are the tips and tricks to reduce blue light during bedtime?
Blue Light exposure can ruin up your babies whole nighttime slumber, for which you definitely should know the below-mentioned tips for reducing them, which are-
- Avoid the light projector entirely and instead of that, use red or orange light with a higher wavelength and fewer distractions. They provide enough visibility for midnight feeds and diaper changes without changing the pattern of your baby’s sleep.
- If possible, do not use any lights in the room and go for a pitch-black room. Keep the door slightly open for hall room lights to enter and assist you.
- Avoid the energy-efficient lights even at the washroom.
- Minimize the exposure of bright light with your baby as much as possible at least 1 hour before they sleep.
Conclusion:
If you are on the way to struggling with your baby to sleep, then you have to learn the fundamentals of newborn sleep. It will help you set your baby’s sleep expectations and let you know that gadgets like night light projectors do not come with any help!