Sleep seems pretty straightforward. But for your little ones, it can be a struggle. While most parents provide for the little things that can make getting their child for bedtime–stuffed toys or bedtime stories–the ideal bedroom design is critical to ensure your little one is primed for slumber.
How To Design The Ideal Bedroom For Child’s Sleep
Fortunately, setting the stage is pretty easy. Here are essential design tips to make your child’s bedroom sleep-friendly.
Invest In A Comfortable, Clean Bed
As the highlight of any bedroom, your kid’s bed should provide the utmost comfort to ensure better sleep quality. To enhance both comfort and aesthetics, explore various styles of kids beds that not only cater to their sleep needs but also complement the overall design and theme of the room. Science supports that a good mattress and pillows can help improve sleep.
It is essential to choose hypoallergenic materials, especially for children with allergies or sensitivities to specific materials. The best bedding materials offer a perfect balance of support and comfort. This ensures proper body posture and alignment of your kid’s spine while sleeping. With better spine alignment and posture during sleep, they’re less likely to feel pain and discomfort in their shoulders and back, which might keep them at night.
In addition, the sheets and blankets also play a critical role in your kid’s overall comfort. You want a soft, breathable sheet that can wick night sweat and moisture away from your kid. This should provide all-night comfort, especially on hot nights or when they’re sick.
Regarding blankets, a sleep sack is most suitable for infants and toddlers. A loose-fitting sack allows your little one to move their legs and arms while restricting their mobility. This is great for ensuring your baby stays warm while preventing loose blankets from the crip and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A weighted blanket may be more suitable for older kids, providing a hug feeling. It provides stress relief and anxiety, allowing them to sleep better naturally.
Once you provide the necessary bedding, it’s essential to keep it clean. Make sure that bedding is washed at least once or every other week. If your little one has an accident, cleaning it immediately is essential. This ensures your kid always sleeps on fresh, clean sheets without the build-up of dirt and grime that can cause skin irritation and other issues such as a stuffy nose.
Re-Think Colors
Although vibrant colors such as hot pink or orange can make your little one’s room lively and foster creativity and energy, they may not be suitable for sleep. Bright colors are generally optimistic and friendly, but they can over-stimulate kids. These colors are best reserved for a separate play area, not bedrooms.
Instead, you can use calming shades to help lull your little one to sleep. For instance, blue has a calming effect that lowers blood pressure and heart rate to prepare them for sleep. Pastel pink and greens can induce serenity and a cooling sensation, which can help send your kid off to sleep. Lighter greens also help your kid wake up feeling fresh.
Keep It Dark
Both kids and adults sleep better in the dark. Thus, you want to limit the light that enters their bedrooms, particularly during summer.
Window blinds and blackout curtains are a great solution to block out sunrise, street lights, and other light from other houses or the street, which can disturb your little one’s sleep. It’s also essential to avoid any lights from devices such as smartphones or TVs in the room. Generally, you want to stop your kids from using electronic devices at least two hours before bedtime to prevent exposure to blue light. This blue light can trick their internal body clock and make your kid feel more awake. Instead of letting them play with a tablet, read them their favorite book before bed.
If your little one fears the dark, you can invest in night light. Just be careful when choosing and using a nightlight. Night lights with red lights can help wind down the brain and are less activating. Choosing a nightlight that emits a soft, dim light is also important to minimize disruption to the child’s sleep.
Clear The Clutter
A messy room can prevent a good night’s sleep, especially for active toddlers. Toys and other clutter can cause your little one to get up and play after lights out. So, plan for good storage to reduce chaos and clutter in your kid’s bedroom.
Drawers, cabinets, large plastic containers, and more provide a storage area for your kid’s toys, clothes, and other essentials, keeping a neat room suitable for sleep.
Bring The Necessary Addons
Generally, there are several tools that you can include in your kid’s bedroom to help with sleep. For instance, a humidifier is helpful when your little one has respiratory issues or when the air is dry, especially during winter. It moistens their nasal passages, allowing for easier breathing and quality sleep.
In addition, an air purifier helps keep the air in their room clean while ensuring proper ventilation. While these can be beneficial, it’s important to maintain and clean them regularly to prevent mold and bacteria growth.
For noise-sensitive kids and babies, a white noise device offers a steady, relaxing sound, such as ocean waves or heartbeat, to help them relax and fall asleep faster. Some children may benefit from white noise, but monitoring your child’s response and adjusting the volume or type of sound is essential.
Takeaway
Regardless of your kid’s age, a good night’s sleep is vital for their growth and development. As such, ensuring a well-designed room ensures that it is a comfortable space perfect for bedtime. Whether decorating your kid’s bedroom for the first time or overhauling it to improve your sleep routine, following the above tips can put you on the right track toward faster and more quality sleep for your little one.
