Have you wondered do babies need needs blackout curtains? I’m sure by now, you’ve read that it’s a must for young children, but how about newborns? I’ve scoured through research articles to find out exactly when black out curtains are necessary.
On average, newborns need blackout curtains at 9 weeks of age, the time that melatonin consolidates. Of course, you can utilize blackout curtains before then, but until your baby starts to consolidate melatonin, it won’t do what you need it to.
In this blog post, I’ll discuss how to establish a sleep/wake cycle, the importance of black out curtains and different types of black out curtains.
How to establish a strong sleep wake cycle
Before you darken your nurseries, let’s talk about creating a strong sleep wake cycle for your newborn. When a baby is born, they have a ‘weak’ sleep wake cycle. It most likely “lightly” resembles mom’s circadian rhythm. (As a nightshift nurse, this was a nice plot twist)
The term development is probably one of the most used words with babies and toddlers and it’s true for establishing sleep wake cycles. Like I mentioned before, on average newborns develop a rhythm of melatonin secretion around 9 weeks. This doesn’t mean they wake up the day they turn 9 weeks and BOOM, sleep wake cycles are rock solid. Like anything, it will take consistency.
Here are a few ways to help establish sleep wake cycles.
During the daytime
- Expose your baby to as much natural sunlight as possible (Ideally, try and get outside)
- Make day awake time interactive (think tummy time)
- Prevent overtiredness, following wake windows and sleepy cues
During nighttime
- Regardless of how old your newborn is, make sure the room is as dark as possible during the night (this trains their circadian rhythm)
- Keep nighttime feeds low stimulation
- Start a bedtime routine
When to start using blackout curtains
Now you know research shows babies develop a rhythm of melatonin and sleep efficiency around 9 weeks old. Melatonin is the hormone that your body secretes to help you relax or puts you into a state of what Johns Hopkins calls a “quiet wakefulness.”
Now that your baby is 9 weeks old and their melatonin rhythm is developed, black out curtains will start to show effect. Darkness will tell your brain to release melatonin. Prior to this age, babies can sleep anywhere and everywhere whether it’s light or dark since there is no rhythmic pattern to melatonin release. However, it needs to be understood that keeping your baby’s nursery dark all night will help train their brain what nighttime is. Babies are so complex!
That being said, I always suggest parents put black out curtains on their nursery checklist to do before baby is born for a few reasons. First and foremost, those early days can be exhausting. Trying to remember at 9 weeks to put blackout curtains can easily slip the brain. There is no harm in putting blackout curtains up earlier. Secondly, if the curtains are difficult to put up or shipping is going to be long, you might find yourself easily frustrated with said exhaustion.
Have you subscribed to amazon prime yet? Best investment for newborn parents. This is when I cue Ariana, “I want it, I got it.”
Why do babies need blackout curtains?
Time to simply break down why we need darkness. Our bodies produce melatonin in response to darkness. When we have light shining in a room, it can signal to the brain to stop making melatonin and prevent your little one from falling asleep. It’s insane how little light it takes to prevent them from falling asleep.
Another reason kids benefit from blackout curtains is that it prevents early morning wake ups. If they wake up early and see there is light coming in, they might be fooled! It’s not time to wake up, but they don’t realize it. Blackout curtains also helps decrease the amount of stimulation in your child’s room which can help relax their brain as well.
Lastly, blackout curtains will grow with them. They can keep them in their room forever and ever until they move out! It is beneficial for even adults, when it’s even more tempting to disrupt your sleep cycle (ahem, hi technology!).
When to stop using blackout curtains?
Spoiler alert, you don’t ever need to! Here’s the thing. Each child is different, and you might have the little caveman or cavewoman that needs total darkness in order to get a full night of restorative rest. However, some kids may continue on and sleep just fine when there is a little light shining in their room.
If your little one gets scared of the dark, which is totally normal starting around 2 years old through preschool, you have options.
- Talk about why they are afraid of the dark
- Use a dim night light their room
- Keep the door opened with a dim light on in the hallway
It can be so beneficial to talk about why your toddler is afraid of the dark. You might find it helpful to read books about fear or simply talk about it. Validating their feelings will always win.
To conclude, blackout curtains can be used with babies, but until they are 9 weeks old, their melatonin release does not have any solid rhythm. Try to get your little one on a good sleep wake cycle following the steps above. They can help with early morning wake ups, it can decrease stimulation in the room and the best part, they will grow with them (you really get your monies worth!).
As always, if your little one is having struggle with sleep, I am here and more than happy to help. Let’s set up a call or you can email me at clementineparent2020@gmail.com
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