Published by Actually Sleeping · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD · Review policy · Updated 2026-11-10

Does my baby need blackout curtains or a night light, and what colour?

A dark room helps. In one study, bright light in the hour before bed cut young children’s melatonin by about 88%, and it stayed low after the light went off. Blackout curtains help with early sunrises and summer bedtimes. Babies don’t need a night light. If you use one for feeds or a toddler’s fears, keep it dim and out of direct view, whatever the colour.

Why darkness matters

Melatonin, the hormone that signals night to the body, rises in the evening and is suppressed by light. A 2018 study measured this in 10 healthy children aged about 3 to 5. After a week on a steady sleep schedule, the children were exposed to bright light, about 1,000 lux, for one hour before bedtime. Their melatonin dropped by about 88% compared with dim light, and it stayed suppressed for at least 50 minutes after the light was turned off.

The study was small and in preschoolers, not babies, but it shows how sensitive young children’s body clocks are to evening light.

A dark room supports sleep. It does not teach a baby to fall back asleep between cycles, which is what Actually Sleeping works on.

Where light causes the most trouble

Early sunrises, especially in summer, when light reaches the room before your child’s wake-up time. See early morning waking.
Bedtime before dark, when the room is still bright as your child is trying to fall asleep.
Naps. A baby who wakes after one short sleep cycle often opens their eyes to a bright room, which makes drifting back off harder.
Streetlights or headlights shining in.
Screens in the evening. The AAP advises turning them off at least an hour before bed. See screens and toddler sleep.

Light by day matters too. Darkness at night works best alongside daylight in the morning, which helps set the body clock. If you add blinds or blackout covers, keep any cords well out of reach of the crib.

Night lights

Babies don’t need a night light. A dark room is fine, and many sleep better in it. You may want a little light for yourself during night feeds and diaper changes; keep it very dim, low and out of your baby’s line of sight.

On colour: the study above tested brightness, not colour. The safest approach is to keep any light as dim as possible, whatever colour you choose.

Toddlers and fear of the dark

Some toddlers start asking for a light. The AAP says you can leave a light on if it helps a child after a nightmare. A dim night light is a small, reasonable comfort. Lights that project moving images or change colour can keep a child watching instead of sleeping. See when your toddler is afraid of the dark.

What a dark room cannot do

Blackout curtains are one of the most common purchases parents make when sleep goes wrong, and they do help a body clock that is being pushed around by light. What they cannot do is change how a baby falls asleep. A baby who needs to be fed, rocked or held to sleep will still wake between sleep cycles, in a perfectly dark room, and ask for the same help. Most families who come to Actually Sleeping have already tried things on their own, and a darker room is often one of them.

That waking is the fixable part. Dr. Sam writes a plan for your baby that covers the room, the schedule and, most of all, how your baby falls asleep, with bootcamp-style coaching before the first night and daily 1:1 check-ins. Naps are coached until they are solid. You can hear from families in our 129 client video reviews.

If the room is dark and your baby still wakes, book a free consultation with Actually Sleeping.

Want this fixed for your baby?

Actually Sleeping is 1:1 coaching: a sleep plan written for your baby by Dr. Sam, bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, and daily check-ins until it is working. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.

Book your free consultation → See what families say

Frequently asked

Is a completely dark room scary for a baby?

A dark room supports your baby’s natural melatonin rhythm, and many babies sleep better in one. If your child later becomes afraid of the dark, a dim night light placed out of direct view is a reasonable comfort.

What colour night light is best for sleep?

The research on evening light in young children tested brightness, not colour. Keep any night light as dim as you can, low and out of direct view. A red or amber setting is fine if you prefer it.

Do I need blackout curtains for naps?

They help, especially for babies who wake after one sleep cycle or nap in a bright room. A darker room makes it easier to fall back asleep between cycles. Short naps in a dark room usually have another cause.