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How to do get a child to sleep without a light on?
My daughter still needs a small lamp when she goes to bed, which I don't think is any different than a nightlight. At what age should she be able to sleep without a light and how do you break this habit?
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October 21, 2009 02:51 PM
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There is nothing wrong with sleeping with a nightlight. You daughter may just be more sensitive to waking up in the middle of the night and it being darker than she likes.
Some people are more sensitive to sound, flavors, or touch. Your daughter just wants things a little more comfortable for her. Maybe she'll grow out of it, maybe not.
My room was the darkest in the house and my Mom never (to this day-25 years later) believed me. She'd always say "but we had that big light in the back yard which was very bright". My response was always "yes, but I didn't have any windows on that side of the house or even close to it, so my room was pitch black at night".
I would change the lamp over to a low wattage nightlight though just to save electricity and to remove the possibility of her knocking it over at night. I use Limelights in my house, and a brand like them. They come in various wattages. The one in my bathroom is 0.03w. I have 2 in my boys' room which are each 0.3w and I will remove one when they get old enough for ME to stop having to go in there in the middle of the night.
I got mine at the local grocery store and at Walmart.
I just don't think you should push your daughter to give up the security of light whether she is 2 or 20 years old. It's just not one of those big issues.
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Some people are more sensitive to sound, flavors, or touch. Your daughter just wants things a little more comfortable for her. Maybe she'll grow out of it, maybe not.
My room was the darkest in the house and my Mom never (to this day-25 years later) believed me. She'd always say "but we had that big light in the back yard which was very bright". My response was always "yes, but I didn't have any windows on that side of the house or even close to it, so my room was pitch black at night".
I would change the lamp over to a low wattage nightlight though just to save electricity and to remove the possibility of her knocking it over at night. I use Limelights in my house, and a brand like them. They come in various wattages. The one in my bathroom is 0.03w. I have 2 in my boys' room which are each 0.3w and I will remove one when they get old enough for ME to stop having to go in there in the middle of the night.
I got mine at the local grocery store and at Walmart.
I just don't think you should push your daughter to give up the security of light whether she is 2 or 20 years old. It's just not one of those big issues.
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• Great tip on changing the bulb. I hadn't considered that and I think from the answers I'll let her keep her light on a little while longer.
I also hadn't realized before that I may need a light on also. I sleep with the television on most of the time which is actually the same thing.
Thanks!
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October 22, 2009 08:21 PM
And night lights are for safety.
But if utter darkness is your goal, put the light on a timer switch.
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But if utter darkness is your goal, put the light on a timer switch.
October 22, 2009 09:07 PM
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I am not sure I see it as a bad habit but I guess many would. I mean if it helps the kid sleep then what does it hurt. But the best way would be to see if it wakes her up if you cut the light off after she is asleep. If not it will be easier to convince her to give it up.
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October 22, 2009 10:03 PM
Some people (like me) wake up in the night from night terrors or night mares. We need that light to see that we are safely in our own home. Waking up in pitch black is just as terrifying as the nightmare that we were having. Taking away her "security blanket" once she is asleep won't mean that she can sleep without a light on. It'll only mean that she'll wake up terrified more often. Or in some cases, start wetting the bed rather than get up and go.
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October 22, 2009 09:57 PM
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I find this interesting because I am 34 years old and still need some light at night. It is very disconcerting for me to wake up and not be able to see anything. It's like waking up from a nightmare and still being in a nightmare. I just learned to live with it by buying the fluorescent lights in a very low watt or using night lights. My children vary. Sometimes they will sleep with a light on and sometimes not. I really believe it's just whatever makes the person feel safe. I can tell you from experience that if you force it she may end up with sleeping trouble or night mares or night terrors.
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October 23, 2009 12:28 AM
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I agree use a night light mostly for safety, or you can try to put those glow in the dark stars and moons on the ceiling and put the night light in a hallway that will cast some light into the room so the child is not in complete darkness. They also have those push lights that come attached to a stuffed animal's belly that you could place by your child's bed or they can sleep with. They also have musical lighted toys to help your child fall asleep that shut off after so long. I am 38 and also have a night light not directly in the room but in the hallway where I can at least see if I have to get up in the middle of the night for some reason mostly so I won't hurt myself or step on my two dogs.
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October 23, 2009 12:35 AM
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For my 5 yo, we put in a noise maker (rain noise or white noise). A fan can replace the white noise portion. We did both that and the light for 2-3 months, and then removed the light. He didn't notice if his "noise" was on. Then, another few months, we lowered the volume of the noise. It was always pretty soft. Now that winter is here, the furnace air has replaced the noise maker. By the time winter is over, we think he won't need anything.
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October 23, 2009 02:58 AM
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As long as a night light doesn't negatively her sleeping then I wouldn't worry to much. If you still want her to sleep without the light on then you have to get to the root of her fear. I would sit with your daughter and talk about what she is afraid of and face it together. If she is afraid of monsters when its dark then you could sit in the dark with her and show her that there is nothing to be afraid of.She will learn that the dark doesnt need to be feared, its just the moons turn to be in the sky.
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