5 Simple Bedroom Changes That Can Improve Your Child’s Sleep Tonight

5 Simple Bedroom Changes That Can Improve Your Child’s Sleep Tonight. Quick wins you can implement immediately.

Bedtime battles are painful for everyone involved. And they don’t just happen at bedtime. The dread you can feel in the run up to the main event can really dull the end of every day. With the recent clock change, things can still feel a little disrupted too. But the good news is that small changes can often make a difference. And it’s not down to expensive products or complicated routines. 

Often it starts with your child’s bedroom and making sure you’re all set up for a successful transition to sleep. So here are our top five tips to try tonight, to help to improve sleep - both at bedtime and throughout the night. 

1. Dim the Lights Earlier 

Light affects melatonin (sleep hormone) production so start dimming lights 30-60 minutes before bed to signal that sleep is coming. If you can, switch off all overhead lights and instead use lamps or night lights to create a more comforting ambience. If you can, it’s great to avoid bathroom lights during the bedtime routine too, but we appreciate that that can be harder to do unless you have a built-in dimmer switch or softer wall lights. Something we love in our house is bath lights. Both fun to play with and creating a much softer light, they can really help with the bedtime routine. 

2. Declutter the Sleep Space 

It’s simple. Too many toys = stimulation + distraction.

Each night before bed, make sure to remove visible toys from around the bed, ideally keeping only their cuddly toys or comforting items around them. You might want to keep a basket or storage box close to hand to quickly tidy away any loose items before bed - particularly on those days when you don’t have time for a full bedroom tidy. The idea is that a tidy room makes for a calmer mind. 

3. Adjust the Room Temperature

Overheating is one of the most common sleep disruptors so making sure you’ve set the temperature right can be a huge win. Aim for a slightly cool room (around 16-20°C) and make sure to use breathable bedding to ensure little ones don’t overheat in the night. If you’re not sure whether you’ve quite gotten it right with the layers and duvet or sleeping bag tog you’re using, check your child’s chest or back or back to gauge warmth. Keep in mind that hands aren’t a good measure of warmth overnight! 

4. Block Out Light 

Even small amounts of light can disrupt sleep cycles. Particularly now the evenings and mornings are brighter, making sure to block out as much light as possible can really help. Close curtains fully and, ideally, use blackout blinds or stick on blinds during the summer months. Take a look around your child’s room to check for other light sources too - such as glowing electronics - and remove or switch them off. If needed, use a dim, warm nightlight. Red is the best colour if you want to encourage sleep. 

5. Add Consistent Background Noise

This one is definitely up for discussion as it will depend on your environment. I have never used white noise but I know my colleague Gemma absolutely swears by it to help some children. The reality is that sudden sounds can wake children between sleep cycles and if you consistently have external noises from family, neighbours, cars or even a boiler system which threaten to wake your child, then having white noise consistently throughout the night can really help with sleep. If you are going to try it, then the volume should be gentle, like a soft shower. We love the Zello portable machine for a great night of sleep at home and away. 

So that’s it! A few easy pointers to try tonight to hopefully help everyone in your household to settle down for sleep a little easier. Good luck! 

A quick reminder of your “try this tonight” checklist:

• Dim lights before bed

• Clear clutter near the bed

• Check room temperature

• Darken the room

• Add gentle background noise