Should my child use a nightlight?

Total darkness can be scary for a lot of children. In darkness lies the unknown, and for some kids, that means monsters under the bed. It’s in these years that kids’ imaginations are bigger than ever, so they are free to dream up all manners of spooky things. In order to help quell these fears, many parents have made use of a nightlight: a small, faint lamp that plugs directly into a light socket. But is this a good idea? Should your child be using a nightlight or not?

Many studies have demonstrated the importance of total darkness during sleep for overall health. If you’re used to sleeping in a room illuminated by bright lights outside, or just don’t have a good pair of opaque curtains, you’re probably used to many nights of tossing and turning. The fact is, simply making the switch to total darkness while you sleep can help boost your energy levels and attitude the next day, because you’ve had a more restful night.

Some studies go so far as to claim the exposure to light during the night has been linked to depression, increased cancer risk and decreased hormone function.

“Light inhibits the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that naturally promotes sleep. Even if you doze off, light can be detected through your eyelids — and your brain won’t produce melatonin if it’s confused between night and day,” says Joyce Walsleben, PhD and associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine. "You want as much darkness in your bedroom as you can handle without tripping over things.”

When it comes to children, the exposure to light at night will not only lower the quality of their sleep, but also shorten the length of time they’re able to sleep peacefully, which leads to further problems.

However, it’s possible to strike a happy balance. Make the room as dark as possible, using thick curtains and other means. If your baby or child is afraid of the dark, allow the use of a small nightlight, as long as it’s a low light. Be sure to put away all children’s books and toys before bed though, so you don’t catch them playing with them by the nightlight!

Make sure you don’t assume your baby is afraid of the dark, though, because chances are, they’re not. Young babies are accustomed to dark environments, since they came from the womb, so it’s unlikely a baby younger than six months will be frightened with the light off. However, they may be upset if you’re not there when they wake up.