Red light and sleep – a match made in heaven

If you follow us on socials, you’ll know that we are big believers in dark rooms for baby sleep – and for babies up to 18 months that is certainly the case – but night lights do have a time and a place.

The time – like we said, after 18 months of age. For some children, this can be when the dark is full of scary unknowns, and when a nightlight can provide comfort for any of those night time wake ups – and hopefully stop them from getting out of bed!

So what sort of light? You’ve probably heard about the pitfalls of blue light (we admit – we sometimes use our phones before sleep but we also agree with the science behind this being a bad idea) – but what about red light?

Blue, white, or green light sources – however dim – can be detrimental to sleep as they emit blue light waves. Blue light is a stimulant that actually boosts attention and reaction times, which interrupt the production of melatonin (the sleepy hormone).

Here’s the secret that you need to know – red light is a higher wavelength and boosts melatonin production. Red light can help support good sleep! And it gives out enough light to reassure them they are home in bed and safe, without drawing them into being fully awake.

There are lots of ways to bring red light into your child’s sleep; our Sleepy Light is can provide one of four gentle warm/red-based light tones, sound machine, diffuser and humidifier all in one. You can also buy red light bulbs, or smart light bulbs that can be any colour, for a lamp you already have, or red wall plugs.

If you are looking for light that supports good sleep we urge you – think red!