10 Ideas for Designing a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom for Your Child

As a parent, your goal is always to help your children grow up to be happy and healthy. In order to succeed at doing that, you need to focus on making sure they eat properly, get plenty of exercise, and get enough sleep on a regular basis.

What you likely know by now is you do have some control over what they eat and how much exercise they are getting. What you can’t completely control is the way they sleep.

While you can’t force a kid to sleep, you can create an environment that will help them sleep better and create a sleep routine. Designing their bedroom to be sleep-friendly can results in easier naps, longer sleep times and overall, better health. 

Here are 10 ideas you might want to consider as you contemplate how to set out to create the perfect sleep environment for your child.

1. Create Separate Areas for Playing and Sleeping

Assuming your child’s bedroom is large enough, create separate zones for playing and sleeping. Toys and playing should not be permitted in the sleeping area and should be put away at night.  Consider separating toys from the bed with a desk or other piece of furniture to keep them out of sight. Teach your child that the sleeping zone is for sleeping only, not for playing or reading. This will allow them to mentally connect their bed with sleep. 

2. Select a Color Scheme That Promotes Sleep

The science of color has taught us that some colors are more conducive to sleep than others. Bright colors tend to agitate the senses, making it difficult to relax and sleep. Conversely, soft pastels and neutral colors will serve to keep your child calm, which should open the door to them sleeping better. Consider a room in neutral grays, whites or even dark colors such as navy or dark green. 

3. Keep the Room Temperature Cool

Researchers believe that humans sleep better in a cool environment. Heat tends to stimulate the mind and senses. Conversely, cooler air tends to keep adults and kids calm. To promote better sleeping habits, a bedroom temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit is what researchers have found to be the optimal temperature at bedtime. As an added bonus, a fan may keep your child cool and also work as a sound machine and keep the child asleep longer. 

4. No Electronic in the Sleeping Area

Electronic devices like TVs, cell phones, and tablets generate blue light waves that tend to stimulate the senses. Eliminate the presence of electronic devices in your child’s sleep zone and keep ipads and phones away from your child an hour before bedtime.

5. Keep the Room Clean and Organized

A disorganized and dirty bedroom will tend to keep your child on edge and may increase anxiety. Between you and your child, you both should be able to keep the room clean and organized throughout the day. Doing so would create a great opportunity for you to teach your child about personal responsibilities while also creating a calm environment for sleep.

6. Provide Comfortable Bedding

If you think about it, you probably sleep better when you feel safe and comfortable in bed. The same thing applies to your child. Creating a comfortable bed for sleep includes providing a comfortable bed and mattress as well as providing warm blankets and comfortable pillows. Make sure the material is soft and comfortable without being too hot. Look for the right size mattress for your child and ensure the sheets fit the bed well.

7. Control for Light and Sound

It’s very difficult for anyone to sleep in a room with too much light and exposure to too much noise. You can address these issues by soundproofing your child’s bedroom and making sure that the window coverings do a good job of keeping the sunlight and light from street lamps and cars from interrupting your child’s sleep. Look for blackout curtains to create an extra dark room. 

Also consider using a sound machine that plays white noise or the sound of the ocean. This will help block out loud noise and create a peaceful environment. 

8. Use Pressure Therapy Tactics

There is something about applying pressure to the body that creates a sense of safety and comfort. In case you are not aware of it, there are weighted products out in the marketplace that can help provide light pressure to your child’s body while they sleep. That would include weighted blankets and stuffed animals.

9. No Clocks

The last thing your child needs when they want to go to sleep is an awareness of time. By eliminating the presence of a clock in your child’s room, you will also eliminate the possibility they will get agitated when they realize it’s getting late and they are having trouble falling asleep.

10. Stuffed Animal Companions for Small Children

Some children have issues with separation anxiety when they go to bed alone. Since you want your child to build a sense of independence as they grow from preschool child to elementary-aged child, you don’t want them sleeping in the same room as you. A really good substitute for a small child would be a stuffed animal or two of their choosing. In their vivid imagination, having stuffed animals around gives them the assurance they are not alone. When they no longer need to sleep with their companion stuffed animals, they will let you know.

Proper sleep have been tied to better physical and mental health. Ensuring your child have a great sleep environment as well as a good bedtime routine can set them up for sleep success.