Did you know that your child’s bedroom can have a big impact on the quality of their sleep? It is important to make their room a comfy and relaxing space.
Removing extra, unnecessary stimuli and adding comfortable features can make your child’s room more sleep-friendly. A sleep-friendly room is one that will improve your child’s quality of sleep and make them feel safe.
There are many ways to create a more sleep-friendly environment for your kiddo. The key is to examine their current space for any ways that it may not be sleep-friendly, and think about ways to make it even more comfy and cozy.
What is a sleep-friendly room?
A sleep-friendly room is one that makes your child feel relaxed and has little to no distracting or overwhelming features that may detract from getting a good night’s sleep.
Oftentimes, parents and kids will want to make their bedrooms a fun, personalized space. Whether it's adding personalized decorations, keeping games or a TV there, or painting the walls vibrant colors, these ideas can often be tempting.
However, when your child has difficulties falling asleep, all of the fun decorations and distractions may instead detract from a good night of sleep.
These decorations or fun aspects to a bedroom may instead make the space feel like one where kids want to play instead of sleep.
Toddlers especially are at the age where extra stimuli can become distracting to sleep. It is difficult for your brain to distinguish feeling tired when it may associate the space you are in with higher levels of energy.
Particularly if your child’s room is very light, they may even struggle producing melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Kids in this situation may benefit from a more sleep-friendly room.
A sleep friendly room eliminates these distractions and instead makes the room a place only for sleep and relaxation.
Rather than keeping your child’s toys in their bedroom, opt to make another room in the house the play room so that their room can be a more relaxing, sleep-friendly oasis.
How to make my child’s room feel safe
The best way to make your child’s room feel safe is to incorporate sleep-friendly techniques in the décor and lighting. A safe and sleep-friendly room is one free from distractions that may ramp up energy levels, but instead incorporates soothing lighting, cool colors, and minimal unpleasant sensory stimuli.
To examine your child’s room for anything unpleasant or distracting, you can look out for hot or cool drafts, scratchy textures, or too much or too little light. It may also be prudent to limit playtime objects, such as toys and games, as they can make your child feel energetic when it is time to sleep.
To make your child’s room feel safer, do your best to limit the presence of these stimuli. Even seemingly small distractions or sensory inputs may make your child feel distracted, overwhelmed, and potentially stressed, leading to what feels like an unsafe room.
Instead, try to create a neutral space where these distractions are limited. Here, your child may be less likely to feel overwhelmed, more safe, and more sleepy when it comes time for bed.
It can also be important to set up a regular bedtime routine where they can get acclimated to their space at night.
Going from a busy, fun-filled day to their bedroom all alone can make a child feel uneasy, but developing a fun and relaxing bedtime routine can help to alleviate this. When they know what to expect before turning in for the night, a child will feel safer in their bedroom.
Sensory-friendly ideas
It is important to create a sensory-friendly space for your child, especially if they experience a sensory processing disorder. This can help them feel more relaxed and get a better night’s sleep in their room.
While every child’s needs are unique, here are some universally sensory-friendly ideas for you to incorporate in your child’s bedroom:
- Cool colors- Bright, vibrant, and warm colors often have the power to make you feel more alert and awake, whereas cool toned, soft colors such as blues, greens, and greys can make you feel calmer. Painting or decorating your child’s room with these cool colors may have the effect of helping them to fall asleep and feel more at ease in their bedroom.
- Minimal daytime objects- Toys, games, and TVs signal that it’s playtime to your child. Not only this, but the physical clutter of many objects can act as a sensory stimulus in and of itself. Removing these objects and placing them in a room for daytime activities can help make your child’s room more sleep friendly.
- Reduced noise and light- Both noise and light can be very impactful on the senses, often leaving your child with more energy and potentially even sensory overload. By making your child’s room a dark place at night, you give them a better chance of producing natural melatonin, a hormone that their brain makes to help them fall asleep. Limiting noise can help to reduce the stimuli that may wake your child up in the middle of the night.
- Cooler temperature- Because your child’s body temperature will naturally drop when they go to sleep, having the room at a cooler temperature at night will help to reduce any extra sensory stimuli. It will also help your child stay asleep throughout the night as they are less likely to wake up from feeling overheated.
Should I sleep in my child’s room?
Many parents who are concerned about their children’s quality of sleep may wonder whether it is a good idea to sleep in the room with them. While every child’s needs are different, studies show that children who sleep on their own after 4 months tend to get a better night’s sleep.
A parent in the room with their child may act as a distracting factor for some children, impeding on their quality of sleep. However, some children may experience a lot of separation anxiety, also impeding on their quality of sleep. It is important to examine your child’s individual needs and chat with a trusted health care professional who can give you and your child advice tailored to your individual situation.
How do I get my kids to sleep more with the Cubby bed?
Creating a sleep-friendly bedroom for your child has never been easier than it is with the Cubby bed, a bed specially designed with kid’s sleep in mind.
Because Cubby has your child’s needs in mind, it is built with a minimally impactful design that will serve as the perfect addition to a sleep-friendly room. It’s padded canopy will make your child feel safe while also limiting sensory input from the rest of the room and its circadian light will simulate sunrise and sunset to make it easier for your child to fall asleep naturally.
The Cubby bed includes sensory friendly features such as a meditative breathing program as well as specially designed sounds that relax rather than distract your child. You can also input your own white noise or relaxing sounds with the built in aux input.
With Cubby, you also have the choice of adding on a weighted blanket, aromatherapy spray, or a vibration mat, all of which can help to soothe your child into a more relaxed state.
The Cubby bed features lots of sleep-friendly techniques that can help children of all ages get a better night’s rest. An essential feature to your child’s sleep friendly room, you can also get the Cubby bed fully covered by insurance if you have documented safety concerns.