Is nighttime light exposure safe for my child?
As parents and caregivers, we of course care a lot about the safety of our children. And that means that before buying anything they might interact with, we spend lots of time researching.
If you are reading this, you may be doing exactly that. What’s the best nightlight for my child? Is it safe for my child to use? Will the light disrupt their sleep or otherwise affect them negatively?
Over the past 20 years or so, there have been several scientific studies on the effects of light at night, and hundreds of articles. Some more recent studies contradict older studies, but some articles still quote those older ones, which is confusing.
Here’s what we found to be the latest:
1. Dimming the lights as long as possible before your child’s bedtime helps their bodies produce increased levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. No blue light, no screens!
2. Avoid a light that stays on all throughout the night, as it disrupts your child’s wake-sleep cycle (circadian rhythm).
3. Warm light colors are less disruptive to sleep than blue or white ones, with red light being the least disruptive.
4. Night lights can improve anxiety, help anxious kids fall asleep, and keep them asleep.
5. Night lights do not cause nearsightedness as one older study suggested. A newer study contradicts it.
Generally, sleeping in total darkness will promote the best sleep. However, if you are reading this, you very likely have a child that is either afraid of the dark, preventing them from falling asleep or waking up scared at night, or you have a child that wakes up and wanders around in the dark, which is unsafe. In these cases, the benefits of having a dim, portable nightlight outweigh potential negatives by helping your child feel less anxious, and more in control.
How did we take the latest science on light exposure into account when designing LuMi?
LuMi automatically turns off after 30-minutes, providing the comfort your child needs to fall asleep more easily, but keeping their exposure to light to a minimum.
If kids wake up in the middle of the night and need comfort or light for wayfinding, they can easily turn it on themselves to accompany them on those scary trips to the bathroom.
LuMi’s light is warm white, and is much dimmer than some competing nightlights. They emit a soft glow that provides just enough light to see, but is not bright enough to wake your child up fully, nor wake up anyone else they may be sharing a room with!
We use LEDs that stay cool to the touch, so cuddling LuMi is safe even when the light is on.
We hope this is helpful to you! Let us know in the comments.
References:
https://www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/should-you-use-a-night-light-in-your-child-s-room
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12780
https://www.mysweetsleeper.com/toddlerblog/tips-for-managing-sleep-for-little-ones-with-special-needs?rq=nightlight
https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/myopia-development-and-nighttime-light-exposure-infancy