5 Tips on Creating a Nursery Set for Sleep

We all love a beautifully designed nursery, fun wall decals, matching color palettes and inspirational quotes but what we often miss is the overall purpose of a nursery SLEEP. As a professional sleep consultant my job is to set the stage for healthy sleep habits as well as creating the best environment to promote relaxation. Let’s explore the 5 biggest tips I give to my clients when performing my nursery assessments.

1. Build Your Baby Bear a Cave

Think of your little one as a baby bear: they need a dark cave for a deep, long sleep; otherwise, they can get scary! There’s some science to this theory: darkness triggers the brain to relax, and stimulates the production of melatonin, which is a hormone responsible for regulating sleep. 

When your little ones are transitioning out of their sleep cycles, they are far likelier to be woken up by outside stimulation, such as light or noise. Even the faintest light emitted from your nursery camera or a street light peeking through a blind, can be enough visual stimulation to wake your child. By having their room dark - think pitch-black like the inside of a cave- this allows their brain to send a signal to their body that it’s time for sleep. 

I always suggest to my clients that they block out any unnecessary lights. Blackout blinds and curtains are THE most important investment you can make in your little one’s nursery. You can find a good selection of affordable, stringless (safety first!) blackout blinds at The Home Depot or Ikea. Our go-to solutions are blackout cellular shades with blackout curtains over top to block out any lights that sneak through the sides of blinds. I know it sounds intense, but trust me when I say, “you’ll thank me later!”

Many electronics also have tiny LED lights, which may emit only a small amount of light, but it can still disrupt your child’s sleep. I suggest placing a tiny amount of duct tape over any unnecessary lights. As well, install dimmer switches or a soft light lamp for night feeds. By keeping the environment as un-stimulating as possible, you ensure that the night feeds create as little disruption as possible to your little one’s natural sleep cycles.   

2. Soothe Your Little One With Sound

How is it that people can sleep so soundly on loud airplanes? The low-pitched sound of the plane creates a droning and hypnotic effect, which is reminiscent of the sounds that little ones hear in the womb while they are developing. That noise and frequency are a comfort. Sound machines work to create an environment that help your baby learn good sleep habits.

Some sleep consultants may qualify a sound machine as a sleep prop, but I tend to disagree. Sound machines provide soothing sounds likened to the sounds your baby hears in your belly during gestation. 

They also drown out any other little noises in the house - we have one in each of our kids’ bedrooms and we know we can move about with ease.  The kiddos won’t hear every little plate on the counter or that five sneeze in a row sessions by their father. Why do dads have such loud sneezes anyway?!

We use the Marpac brand, which you can find on their website or on Amazon, for as little as $50. You don’t need fancy sounds like ocean waves and whales, a simple “shushhh” sound will be sufficient. Think of the noise you often make to soothe your upset little one:  “shushhh.” A fan is another great white-noise option, provided that you point it away from your baby’s crib.

3. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just Right: Setting the Perfect Temperature

Most parents are unsure if their nursery temperature is ideal for their baby’s sleep. Temperature is a major factor in allowing babies to sleep comfortably. The ideal temperature for a peaceful night’s sleep is between 20–22.2°C (68–72°F). It is better to bundle your little one up and set the room a little cooler, than it is to dress them down and turn up the heat.  Cooler air around their head creates a wicking effect, so they are better equipped to self-regulate their temperature and maintain deep sleep. You can burrito them up nicely in a swaddle or a sleep sack to achieve this effect.

4. It’s Not Just a Decoration: Get Them Sleeping in Their Crib

Putting your little one to sleep in their crib sounds like a no-brainer, but many parents say their little ones have crib aversions. The reality is that children have aversions to sleeping alone, and they come to associate their crib with being alone. If your little one won’t sleep alone and fusses to be rocked, cuddled, or held all through the night, it can be difficult for you to continue functioning, but sharing a bed with your child can be detrimental. The American Pediatric Sleep Association advises that it is vital that babies and children sleep alone in their bassinet or crib to prevent accidental suffocation. Through sleep training, you can encourage your little one to sleep alone, helping them to develop independent soothing skills.  They’ll sleep safely, and you will sleep uninterrupted!. 

5. Oil Those Door Hinges! 

There’s nothing worse than walking out of your baby’s room after checking on them as they sleep peacefully (you know you do it), and having the door squeak and wake them. I don’t love WD-40 for a room indoors, as it has a strong smell, so we use cooking oil for our kids’ rooms! You can use basically any cooking or baby oil you have on hand - Vaseline is also a great choice.

Conclusion

Well there you have it, five simple tips to get your little one’s room a zen, cave-like, sleeping oasis to promote healthy sleep and to help sleep training be as seamless as possible! Once you have these areas conquered, go ahead and decorate the heck out of it!