Night Lights

we have a small christmas tree with lights..

It went up in my daughters room last christmas.. then she became afraid of the dark.. so it is still there.

All summer the tree was not on.. becuase my daughter was going to bed at 7-730 and it was still light outside.. but now it is dark when she goes to bed so she wants alight on.

I have tried to turn it off when I go to bed.. but if she wakes up and it is dark.. she screams...

get whatever kind of light makes the baby feel secure.

I still remember being afraid of the dark.. they really are afraid of things..

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I'm totally in favor of night lights and flash lights. Why not?

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I have no issues with a night light. Our two year old daughter has one. I was truly terrified of the dark as a child and would have benefitted greatly from a night light. As soon as our daughter started worrying about the dark, we got her a night light. It's in a plug in a dormer in her room. It's not in her direct view, so it's dim, but comforting. I still have memories of how afraid I was. If a night light is comforting for your daughter, I'd give it to her.

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We use 1 small strand of Christmas white lights hanging above the window.
you can set those on a timer but if she wakes up in the middle of the night expect her to be upset.
We actually have little peep covers on our lights right now.
It gives a very soft glow and the boys have been happy

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If she needs it, give it to her. I like the kind that have the sensors so it automatically turns on and off.

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Hi J.,
Are there any negative reasons for putting in a nightlight? Both of my boys have a nightlight. We got ours at Target and we have a Pooh one and just a standard one. If there ever comes a time that they don't want one I would probably start putting them in the halls. If they get up to go to the bathroom I like that they are able to see where they are going. Good luck.
Chris

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I'm not sure where I got it from, but I found a night light that goes on and off depending on how dark it is, but the really nice thing about it is that you have to unscrew the cover plate on your outlet and then screw in the night light which has an attached child-proof cover plate. Added bonus since now the kids can't pull it out, and you can also dim the light so it's not overly bright. I think I found it babies r us. Hope this helps.

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We always had a night light for our kids. If that is all that is keeping her from going to bed and sleeping well, go for it. They just take little 4 watt bulbs so they are safe and don't take alot of electricity There are so many to choose from. We got a little princess crown night light for our granddaughters and they love it. There are also timers out there for any outlet. I don't think it hurts to have alittle light so they aren't afraid of the "monsters under the bed" or whatever. No worries!

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I'd say go for it. Some people like a night light, others need complete darkness.

We had one that has a solar sensitive part so it only comes on at night. But you might want one that goes off in an hour or two. Look in the christmas section at the store because they have timers for christmas lights.

We used something for out daughter early on. It is a lighted up panel that has animals that go round and round. It was great for all the night feedings and stuff because we didn't have to turn lights on. However, now my daughter needs darkness to help her sleep, so we've kind of ditched it.

Best wishes!

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It's perfectly fine to have a night light! I have one that doesn't take a bulb. It's sort of a gel that lights up. It's a soft blue light that isn't that bright. I think they came from Target.

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my kids have always had night lights, otherwise they would take to total darkness, that would be scary to them, just a little 5w night light bulb in a plug in wall unit is fine, or if you are worried about a regular bulb you can buy a led night light

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J.,

I think its perfectly OK to let a child have a nightlight if they are scared of the dark. Just don't make a big deal about it. Nonchalantly put a nightlight in their room for them. They will outgrow it eventually, and until then, really what does it hurt?

My oldest is 12 and had a nightlight as a toddler, and doesn't need one now or hasn't needed it for many years.

If you force them to stay in a dark room where they are frightened, I believe their fears will intensify and really take root, causing more problems down the road. That is just my opinion though.

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HI J.,
Forgive me for being so incredibly naive but my only children are delicious 1 yr old twin boys. I was always afraid of the dark when I was younger (and it lasted into my early 20's sorry to say) so I figured that my boys needed something at night for when they wake/may wake up in the middle. They now understand their Oceans Wonders Aquarium and love to turn it on during the nights they wake up...this has sound, light and movement and is so soothing that they eventually calmly fall asleep (after they have talked to it, turned it on and off 50 x's and have tried to pull it off their cribs). Their bedroom has a dimmer on their overhead light which I turn on every night on the lowest level. This way, when they wake, if they don't want to "toy aquarium" they can stare at the light and settle down...they have a thing for lights! I need to mention that my twin boys are currently in different rooms (even though their room, cribs included, are in one large bedroom) as they wake eachother up during the night. Does your daughter sleep in a crib or toddler bed? Not that it matters so much, it's just if she is afraid, then she is mobil and may end up sleeping under her bed, in her closet, under your bed. I would definately have a toy (like the aquarium) or a sound machine with a light show (fisher price, this one has a timer for 5, 10 and up to 15 min.) so she has background noise with something with light to look at up on the ceiling.

Hope this helps!

I have a 3 yo and a 5 yo (both girls) and I have always had a night light in their room. I use just a regular plug in the wall one that I unplug every morning (I want it on all night so that regardless of what time they wake up they arent in the dark...better for their sense of security)

I think we pass our fears onto our kids. I think we make them afraid sometimes, or confirm their fears without even knowing it. I personally still like some light at night but I dont' want my kids to think they have to (or to inherite my crazy fears). My baby sleeps in a pitch dark room because he always has. My three girls sleep with their door open to a dimmed hall light. Every once in a while they ask for a lamp on. I tell them no way. Studies show that we get better sleep the darker it is anyway :)

Hi J.!

My son has a night light in his room and I don't see a problem with using one. I use the "Especially for Baby" brand. It has a built-in light sensor, so you just plug it in and it'll turn on by itself when it's too dark in the room. I don't think it's too bright. You can find them at Babies R Us in a 2pk for $5.99. Hope this helps!

I don't think there's anything wrong with using a night light...as long as you make sure you keep telling your daughter there's nothing to be afraid of. We bought a small 1 gallon fish tank with a light and filter (about $20 at Meijer) and we turn the light on after she feeds the fish at bedtime. It also gives her an incentive to listen getting her pjs on and brushing her teeth so she can feed the fish. Anyway, we leave the light on and then turn it off before we go to bed once she's asleep. It's a fun night light...before the fish tank we just used one of those cheap $4 ones from target or something.

I hope this helps!

I like the nightlight that I got from Babies R Us, it screws into the stocket and the brightness is adjustable, the bulb is fully enclosed so they can't get it out of the socket, it covers the whole outlet, but it doesn't have a timer... I like the adjustable brightness part.

J.,
Time to teach your child about the dark, first, there are some great childrens books about being afraid of the dark, and about night creatures. There are books that have glowing things in them! Ask at your library or book store.
Next, we do "dark" exercises, turn the lights off, have your daughter close her eyes and count to 10, when she opens them you can see just about everything! Walk thru your house in the dark, go out and see the stars, it is harder to see if there is light! Night lights are good, make sure there is a 4 watt bulb in it or a colored bulb, it is less bright that way. Do you really need one that turns off? You can put "glowing" stars on her ceiling, neat to watch while going to sleep, and they start to twinkle as you watch. NOW is the time to teach her to NOT be afraid of the dark, to find it interesting! good luck, K. (mom of 5 grown, 1 grandchild, daycare provider for 30 years)

Dear J. C i'm 34 and always have some sort of nite lites through out the house now i have the ones that shut off and on with the natural lite... its just safer when you get up at nite to take care of things kids, pets, bathroom visits ect..
u can find them at local hardware lowes, homedepot, aco ect.. low watts so they don't use to much electricity...

My kids and neices all the the tyke light too, and all MUST have it each night! It's a cute, fun, rechargable, take with you, etc. light! Highly reccomend! You can find it online for cheaper perhaps, but Babies R Us I know carries them!

J., The best purchase that I ever made was for a very small machine (the name has slipped my mind but I got it at Meijer) that comes with three different discs that you put in it and they project different images on the ceiling. It will also play three different lullaby's and a heart beat, rain or the ocen. You can have just the projector on or both that and the music. It also has a timer for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. It works great for my little one who is 14 months! Let me know if you are interested and I'll go home and get the name of it. It costs around $30. Good luck with everything!

My boys each have their own tyke light and they love it. It can sit anywhere and if they want they can even have it in their bed with them. It has a 15 minute timer on it and they just turn it back on if they wake up in the night and need/want it.

I think it's ok to have a nightlight. My daughter has one. It has a low watt light bulb and a cover so it doesn’t shine too bright. We leave it on all night.
I also leave the hall light on for her. Then when she falls asleep I turn that off.
I have a few throughout the house. I hate to have a dark house. Not sure why.

As a gift, when my daughter was just over a year, we received a Fisher Price Aquarium that fits on the side of the crib. It has a big button that my daughter can easily push (she finds it in the dark)and a lite and/or music and/or lite, music and fish swimming around comes on. It turns off all by itself in about 8 minutes so it's not on all night. We also found that only having the music/lite on cuts down on batteries life as well. She's now 2.5 years and still uses it every night and LOVES it. Good luck.

I really don't see the harm in a nightlight. We have always used a few throughout the house, they turn off when it gets lighter, come back on when it's dark. Personally I just see it as personal preference...I prefer a little light if my hubby isn't home...dark if he's there...no big deal. I certainly don't have time to worry about 'teaching' my kids not to dislike the dark...among the zillions of things I do teach my kids...that would be pretty low on the list! Micromanage much? LOL

Anyway, unless they are absolutely freaking out about the dark, I don't see the necessity of making it a big deal. It's a battle I choose not to choose!

~L.

For both of my boys (4 & 2). We bought something called twilight turtle (from amazon or right start) does constellations on the ceiling. It's not really about the constellations since it's hard to pick them out but it has three nice lights (green,blue&amber) It's really cute and turns off by itself after 45 minutes. Both of the boys know how to turn it back on since it sits on their beds.

SO many kids are scared of the dark I don't even think its an issue. I always leave a bedside light on in my five-year-old's room when he goes to sleep, then I turn it off when he's asleep. All my kids were nervous of the dark when they were little - at 11 and 14 the older two are just fine going to sleep with the light off now and have been for years. Just make her comfortable - otherwise you'll be starting a completely unnecessary battle. By the way, I've always done this bedtime routine with my boys when they were small - sit on a chair in their room having a glass of milk and a snack (fruit, crackers, whatever) and we read two stories. Then they go into bed with some books to look at until they fall asleep. Both my older boys are avid readers (in fact I have issues with my 11-year-old who will quite happily read until midnight in his room!) so I think this bedtime routine has fostered a love of reading. Enjoy your baby! - Alison

J.,
I am 42 and still use night lights. My kids each have one in their rooms and I have one in the bathroom and in my kitchen. I do not have one in my bedroom but I have an alarm clock that is quite bright. My kids also will leave their lamps on until they fall asleep. My daughter has a lava type lamp in her room that is not quite as bright as the lamp. I say whatever works to get your kids to go to sleep (in their own rooms) is fine.

We have night lights. I keep the bathroom light on with the door cracked too...the nightlight in there broke.
My daughters' are on a timer since it is on their diffuser...it is a cool blue light but after a half hour it is dark in there. They can turn it back on.
My son's is a car...not very bright.

My daughters used to always have a night light (they still do when we go to the family cottage). We found one with a design (ours had a plastic knight) in front of the light bulb. That helps lessen the amount of light going into the room. We never did find one on a timer. I've always went in and checked on the girls before I go to bed (make sure they're covered, etc.), so would shut the light off then. If the youngest woke up in the middle of the night I would have to turn it back on - and then it just stayed on. At the cottage we do the same thing, I go in check on them and shut the light off. I would recommend one that has something in front of it, not just the standard white shield, to help deflect the light and also lesson it some.

When we lived in the city, there was a streetlight in front of the house and we just would open the curtains some. When we moved i started using nightlights, but when they go to bed, it is not enough. So i started letting them have the hall light on for 'awhile" which is usually 20-30 mins, but by that time they are asleep without all the fussing, and their eyes have had time to adjust to the dark, so the nightlight seems to be brighter to them if they wake up. i also keep a nightlight on in the bathroom, so there is a guide light if they need to get up to go to the bathroom, or our room, or vice versa if I need to get to them. good luck to you!