How Red light can help your baby sleep better
May 30, 2023
When you bring your beautiful newborn home, helping your baby sleep will be top of your agenda. Because if baby doesn’t sleep well, nobody does!
Creating just the right environment for baby to sleep is very important. Do you need the room completely dark? What about a night light?
While most experts agree total darkness is best for sleep, it’s not always ideal or practical when you need to check on baby through the night. This is where a subtle light can be useful – and for maximum zzzz’s, there’s a colour to pick: Red.
The circadian rhythm – sometimes called our ‘Body clock’ - is the biological process which tells us when we should feel sleepy, and we should feel awake. These signals trigger a host of changes in our body temperature, muscles and breathing which help or hinder sleep. Blue light? Well, it confuses this process, telling our body it should be awake even at times we’d normally be tired… which is why we can find ourselves still bingeing Netflix at midnight.
That’s where red light comes in. Red light is opposite on the spectrum to blue light. So, while it doesn’t put you to sleep, it won’t interfere with the sleep/wake cycle and allows the body to continue the natural process of winding down.
Exposing them to natural light changes, such as morning light, afternoon light, and total darkness (or a subtle red light glow) at night are valuable ways to help encourage its development.
As an added bonus, a subtle glow of red will make those night-time feeds and nappy changes a little easier. (Note: many small plug in night lights are white light, which isn’t a whole lot better than blue!)
The Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid also includes pink noise, a sound frequency which may help calm and soothe baby at bedtime – read more about how pink noise can help, here.
When creating a perfect sleep routine for your baby, there are even more sensory tools you can add to your tool kit.
Many new parents use bath-time as the start of their baby’s night routine, and baby massage can be a natural extension – and a lovely bonding experience between mum or dad and bub.
Baby massage can begin from newborn onwards, using a light nourishing baby massage oil like Euky Bear’s Baby Massage Oil. From 3+ months you can add Euky’s Baby Essential Oil blends, like Sleepy Time to calm, or Tummy Ease for tummy discomforts.
Aromatherapy is another feature of the Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid – from 3+ months you can enjoy the natural wellness benefits of the baby essential oils in your sleep aid. The soothing aromas can become an olfactory trigger letting baby know it’s time for sleep, while creating a soothing and peaceful ambience in the nursery. You'll enjoy it, too!
SHOP EUKY BEAR SLEEP AID & BABY ESSENTIAL OILS
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
2. https://www.bcchr.ca/healthysleepforkids/newborns
Always read the label and follow the directions for use
Creating just the right environment for baby to sleep is very important. Do you need the room completely dark? What about a night light?
While most experts agree total darkness is best for sleep, it’s not always ideal or practical when you need to check on baby through the night. This is where a subtle light can be useful – and for maximum zzzz’s, there’s a colour to pick: Red.
Why red light?
Let’s first talk about the light spectrum. You’ve probably heard of blue light, which is emitted from our screens: TV’s, ipads and phones. We all know blue light = bad for sleep, but why? Studies show blue light can throw our body’s circadian rhythm out of whack.The circadian rhythm – sometimes called our ‘Body clock’ - is the biological process which tells us when we should feel sleepy, and we should feel awake. These signals trigger a host of changes in our body temperature, muscles and breathing which help or hinder sleep. Blue light? Well, it confuses this process, telling our body it should be awake even at times we’d normally be tired… which is why we can find ourselves still bingeing Netflix at midnight.
That’s where red light comes in. Red light is opposite on the spectrum to blue light. So, while it doesn’t put you to sleep, it won’t interfere with the sleep/wake cycle and allows the body to continue the natural process of winding down.
Babies need more help
How does this translate for babies? Funnily enough, newborn babies do not actually have a fully functioning circadian rhythm – which is why their sleep is so erratic. It starts developing around 2-3 months and is not normally fully developed until the first year.Exposing them to natural light changes, such as morning light, afternoon light, and total darkness (or a subtle red light glow) at night are valuable ways to help encourage its development.
How can I use red light in baby’s night routine?
A sleep aid such as Euky Bear’s Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid – which includes red light as one of its features – is the perfect way to incorporate red light into your baby’s sleep routine.As an added bonus, a subtle glow of red will make those night-time feeds and nappy changes a little easier. (Note: many small plug in night lights are white light, which isn’t a whole lot better than blue!)
The Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid also includes pink noise, a sound frequency which may help calm and soothe baby at bedtime – read more about how pink noise can help, here.
When creating a perfect sleep routine for your baby, there are even more sensory tools you can add to your tool kit.
Many new parents use bath-time as the start of their baby’s night routine, and baby massage can be a natural extension – and a lovely bonding experience between mum or dad and bub.
Baby massage can begin from newborn onwards, using a light nourishing baby massage oil like Euky Bear’s Baby Massage Oil. From 3+ months you can add Euky’s Baby Essential Oil blends, like Sleepy Time to calm, or Tummy Ease for tummy discomforts.
Aromatherapy is another feature of the Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid – from 3+ months you can enjoy the natural wellness benefits of the baby essential oils in your sleep aid. The soothing aromas can become an olfactory trigger letting baby know it’s time for sleep, while creating a soothing and peaceful ambience in the nursery. You'll enjoy it, too!
SHOP EUKY BEAR SLEEP AID & BABY ESSENTIAL OILS
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
2. https://www.bcchr.ca/healthysleepforkids/newborns
Always read the label and follow the directions for use
