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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to leave the light on for my toddler - and should i turn it off later?

31 replies

SlightlyItchyBraStrap · 23/07/2013 09:13

DS 26 months asked me to leave his light on when he went to bed just now. I did - and he's fallen asleep - but would it be reasonable to turn it off later? Don't want him waking up scared, but he's not usually scared.... But don't really want to set a precedent for sleeping with the lights on all night.

Anyone have something similar with their toddlers?

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 23/07/2013 09:18

Just leave it on, they grow out of it eventually. My ds it's 12 and doesn't have a night light now, my mum is 65 and still likes a low light on!

olympicsrock · 23/07/2013 09:37

We leave an 'eco moonlight' on for our toddler. I like to be able to see him when i go in to check. If we didn't he wakes up frightened. It just plugs flat into the socket and uses minimal electricity around 1p per night. You can get them from jojo maman or on amazon.

attheendoftheday · 23/07/2013 09:37

Whatever gets him to bed! If you don't want the lights on all night you could get a nightlight.

QueenofKelsingra · 23/07/2013 09:50

we have a nightlight for our 3yo. he used to sleep in the dark until a thunderstorm freaked him out. he refused to sleep without a light and woke up scared if I turned it off after he was asleep. bought nightlight and went straight back to sleeping through and going to bed without a fuss. i'm sure he'll grow out of it eventually!

YDdraigGoch · 23/07/2013 09:54

We used to leave the landing light on - but eventually convinced the DDs that they CAN see in the dark once their eyes get used to it.

Nightlights are good though.

Pennyacrossthehall · 23/07/2013 10:11

Don't start a bad habit.

The light from the hall, living room or even the streetlights (assuming that you live in a town) is more than enough to see by.

Don't teach them that the dark is scary. The dark is just dark.

Prozacbear · 23/07/2013 12:27

I don't think it's a 'bad' habit is it?

I always slept with the light on as a child, couldn't have it off. Now if DP is away, I will still have a low light on. I don't think I'm damaged or anything. DS also has a low light on - I will buy him a nightlight though.

and the dark is bloody scary, full of werewolves and zombies!

ArtexMonkey · 23/07/2013 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thebody · 23/07/2013 12:29

it's not a bad habit. we always leave the landing light on and dd 14 would be hysterical if she woke up in the dark, literally has been, so we have plug in coloured lights in her room.

thebody · 23/07/2013 12:30

also if you say you will leave the light in and then turn off later he won't trust you.

Longdistance · 23/07/2013 12:32

We leave the light on for dd1 and she's gonna be 4 in September.

We do, however switch it off before we go to bed. No issue whatsoever when she wakes that we switched the light off. If she wakes in the night, she can still find our bedroom and come in with us.

Oldraver · 23/07/2013 12:36

Do whatever you need for him to get to sleep, maybe a nightlight for him.

DS was fin without a light when he was younger (around 1) but started wanting to have some kind of light on. His DB got him out of it last year and he decided he was no longer bothered by it.

But yes it is better for them to sleep in darkness

Pennyacrossthehall · 23/07/2013 12:38

Humans (and, I'm guessing, most animals) sleep better in the dark.

Original poster
SlightlyItchyBraStrap · 23/07/2013 12:39

Well, he woke up and called out (this is normal, usually happens at least once) and dh resettled him and turned off the light while he was in there. He went back to sleep no problems.

Neglected to mention, there is a nightlight in there, but he specifically asked to have the big light on. Will look into the Eco moonlight someone mentioned. Personally I have to have a completely dark room, or sleep with a T-shirt over my eyes!

OP posts:
Pennyacrossthehall · 23/07/2013 12:42

Oh, and "...if DP is away, I will still have a low light on" to me, that's odd.

Not trying to start a war, but why do you behave differently when you're on your own?

I also should add to my previous post - if you live in the country, where it can be pitch black in the middle of the night, then a glowlight/plug on the landing is a good idea just for visibility.

MrsKeithRichards · 23/07/2013 12:44

If my DH is away overnight I leave the TV low on all night - I hate being on my own. Odd? I don't think it's a case of being odd or not, it's what makes me feel better!

OP do what you have to do!

fairylightsinthespring · 23/07/2013 12:45

DS (nearly 4) has just started doing this but its so he can "read" his books in bed. We let him, he usually falls asleep after about 10 mins and we turn it off when we go to bed. He has a little blue nightlight that stays on and he turns his big light on in the morning when he gets up.

thebody · 23/07/2013 12:46

penny that's a massive assumption based on what evidence???

ilovepowerhoop · 23/07/2013 12:46

both mine have a nightlight and I leave the bathroom light on all night too so that if they get up for the toilet the hall is lit up a bit and they can find the bathroom easily.

QueenofKelsingra · 23/07/2013 13:04

my ds sleeps 12 hours with a night light so I don't buy the idea that everyone sleeps better in the dark. mine still all sleep through when its light at 5am and not dark til 10pm just as easily as they do in the winter.

I also leave the hall light on if DH is away, I don't feel as relaxed when he isn't home overnight, I don't think its odd. Confused

LastTangoInDevonshire · 23/07/2013 13:10

(Why do people talk about 2+ year olds in months? Is it because you want to keep them as 'babies'? Does my 'ed in, all them maths calculations.

In a psyche there is a lot of difference between "26 months" and "2.2 year old".)

Having said all that, I'd leave a small light on and turn off the big one. We still, grown up family, leave the bathroom light on all night so people can see where they're going.

hatsybatsy · 23/07/2013 13:12

I'm with the posters who say don't start a bad habbit.

ds started asking for the light on at about that age - dh gave in and we very soon had a child who would not sleep without it. cue his sleep pattern worsening, him getting up very early, us fighting various battles with him not to have the room light on full blast all night.

dd asked for her light to be left on at that age too. I just said no - there was no fuss. She's fine. She's not scared of the dark and sleeps far better than her brother.

IvanaCake · 23/07/2013 13:16

5.5 year old dd sleeps with the big light on, her door wide open and the landing light on. It's been this way for over a year now and she has hysterics if we mention switching it off. She won't even entertain the idea of a lamp or night light instead.

We're having to just go with it...its either that or we dont get any sleep!

soontobeslendergirl · 23/07/2013 13:22

Isn't there evidence that regularly sleeping in the light is bad for your eyes as well as generally because of the body clock thing?

Hard to say what is right or wrong as mine were always happy enough to sleep in th edark - eldest had a phase of wanting the landing light left on, but he was school age at that point and it was only for one winter - when the lighter evenings came in he didn't bother and by the time the dark nights were back he didn't bother.

Viviennemary · 23/07/2013 13:22

I don't think it's such a good idea leaving the light full on all night. But you don't want a scared child. I was frightened of the dark when I was a child and still remember it. And I sometimes think night lights cast shadows. There isn't a hard and fast rule that works for every child.