How to Create a Sleep-inducing Baby Nursery

When your child's bedroom is relaxing and sleep-inducing, it is easier for them to fall asleep and remain asleep – which makes life easier for the whole family. As a gentle sleep coach, I have lots of suggestions for you on the subject of how to help Baby sleep through the night. Let's create a sleep-inducing baby nursery together!

Have you ever tried to fall asleep in a hot room? Or drift back asleep when the sun has already started to rise? Or awakened to your neighbor's dog barking in the middle of the night? Now, imagine trying to get your sensitive little one to go to sleep in that environment. Not going to happen, right? 

Studies have proven that crafting a cozy sleep environment is key to helping your baby develop healthy sleep habits, which are very important for their overall well-being – both physically and emotionally.

Here is what I recommend when it comes to creating a sleep-inducing baby nursery.

Everybody sleeps better in a darkened room – babies included! This is because the human body produces melatonin when it’s dark, which induces sleep. (It’s all a part of your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle called your “circadian rhythm.”)

During the summer, when it stays light quite late into the day and the sun rises very early, the bedroom is much lighter, which reduces melatonin production and makes it harder for your child to fall asleep. They may wake earlier in the morning, too. 

You may not be able to control the rise and fall of the sun. But, you can use blackout blinds or curtains to keep the nursery consistently dark from the beginning of the night until it's time to wake up. 

Though we certainly all have our preferences for room temperature, the majority of us have an easier time sleeping in a cooler room. In fact studies have consistently shown that maintaining an optimal bedroom temperature can significantly contribute to your baby's safety and well-being during sleep. 

Experts generally recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 and 68 degrees F (15.6 to 20 degrees C) to create the perfect sleep haven for your little one. Additionally, opting for a breathable crib mattress can help your little one to regulate their body temperature better and sleep cooler and comfier (here’s how to find the best one!).

Ensuring that their nursery is comfortably cool and their mattress sleeps cool can make a world of difference in promoting restful and safe sleep for your baby.

What's plugged in around your child's bed may impact how they sleep. Everything electrical emits an electromagnetic field. Though these fields are safe, studies have suggested that they may impact how we sleep. 

Try to keep anything plugged into your child's bedroom as far away from their crib as possible. If you use a monitor, avoid having it near the crib (keeping it across the room is fine). You may also want to avoid having a modem or router in the bedroom. 

Although there is still much research to be done in this field, any small step you can take to possibly protect your baby’s sleep quality is worth taking!

Just like grown ups, the more comfortable your child is, the easier time they'll have falling and staying asleep. When considering your little one’s comfort level, you will want to consider what they wear while sleeping, their bedding and even the mattress they sleep on. And remember: their preferences will be quite different from your own! 

Let’s start with their mattress. After all, it’s the item they’ll interact with the most for the first year of their life! You’ll want to select a firm, flat mattress to support their growing bodies and prevent any risk of suffocation. A good rule of thumb is if it feels comfy for you, it’s probably too soft for your infant. 

Lullaby Earth crib mattresses follow CPSC guidelines for firmness to keep your baby safe. But, as your baby grows, so do those firmness guidelines and their comfort preferences. That’s why Lullaby Earth’s mattresses are designed to grow with your child, with a firm side for infants and a medium firm side for toddlers. When your child is ready, simply flip the mattress over!

Just as sunlight can impact our sleep, so can artificial light like light bulbs. Bright white energy-saving light bulbs mimic sunlight, which, as I mentioned earlier, inhibits melatonin production. You’ll want to keep these bulbs out of the bedroom. 

Some light bulbs don't mess with melatonin production. Using old-school incandescent may not be practical, but you can select LED bulbs with more of an orange glow to promote sleep.

As you are getting your child ready for sleep, keep the room fairly dim and use a lamp rather than the overhead light. A dim lamp makes the room feel cozier – and the cozier we feel, the easier it is to sleep! You can even mimic a sunset but gradually dimming the light as you progress through the bedtime routine.

Children require a lot of stuff, there's no denying it. But all this stuff can make sleep more challenging. 

Studies have revealed that people who sleep in cluttered rooms are more likely to have trouble sleeping. While your little one might not be consciously aware that a tidy space creates feelings of calm, their subconscious might feel the stress of a cluttered nursery (or the stress it causes you!).

Keep the room as uncluttered as possible. Putting toys away before bed and tidying up can significantly impact your child's sleep.

I'm sure you've heard from somewhere that you shouldn't keep the house silent when your child sleeps. This is true – and, frankly, silence is impractical for most households anyway. But you should definitely be aware of your noise output if you’ve got a little one in bed. 

General household noises are fine, and your child will likely sleep through them. But sudden loud noises can wake your child. You may find playing white or brown noise in your child's room helps block out any sudden noises. Pop the white noise machine between your child's bed and where any noise may come from (usually a window or the door) to create a wall sound between your child and the rest of the house. 

You don't have to make a lot of changes to create a sleep-inducing sleep space. Implementing even a few of these baby nursery ideas can significantly impact how your child sleeps. In fact, some of these tweaks may help you get a great night's sleep, too. What changes will you make?

If you’ve made these changes but your baby is still fighting sleep, your nursery may not be the issue. Learn more.