Dark room for day time nap or not?

[Wiggy29]

we have the option for naps at home as there is a black out blind but I've read contradictory advice on this; some seem to suggest it's good as aids sleep but others say it's bad as only room should only be dark at night to help them understand it's their 'big' sleep, also it's not always possible to have darkness for days naps (e.g. When visiting/ car journeys etc).

What is your experience?

Well both of mine always had all their sleep in their rooms, in the dark in their cots and they've always slept really well (both slept 7-7 ish from 12 weeks and two daytime naps). However, the only problem - if you consider it a problem - is that neither would sleep anywhere else! ... basically they wouldn't sleep in a buggy or car seat etc even if out for the whole day, they'd just stay awake as it wasn't bedtime / nap time.

Since he was about 2.5/3 months old i ahve been putting ds down for daytime naps in his cot, in a dark room with black out blinds. I even put him in his grobag as well, just the same as at night.

I have not found it has caused any problems re: day/night. He somehow seems to instinctively know that daytime is daytime (and therefore wakes up after 40 minutes every time....he never takes a long nap!). Whereas when I put him down at bedtime in the evening, he sleeps the whole night, barring a few brief stirrings around 5am.

I think the light/dark thing matters more in the first couple of months of a newborn's life, when it's important to keep them in the daylight all day (ie. probably napping on your lap in the living room, or in a moses basket in the living room) - this helps to set their daytime/nighttime clock I think. After a couple of months, if they're starting to sleep longer stretches at night, then I think you can safely assume they know the difference bewteen daytime and nighttime...

that's been my experience with DS anyway, for what it's worth!

Fairylea- that's so sweet that they stay awake waiting for their nap time, bless their little hearts!

Bo- interesting point about newborns, he does sleep longer at night (4-5 hours as opposed to 3 in a stretch).

Lun- agree about not changing, it would be exhausting to change them for every nap!

I'm going to start trying him in his cot for naps on Sunday so I think I'll try putting blind down&see how that goes.

I introduced blackout blinds (well tin foil actually...really need to get a proper one) when clocks changed because bedroom would be so so bright at bedtime as the sun shone directly into her room.

Clearly as i used tin foil (supposedly as a temporary measure) this meant the room was dark for naps too! Luckily the night / day wasnt an issue for baby anymore and as i take baby out in car or buggy most days she's not averse to napping in the light

I've always just pulled the curtains both dc are fine with it, also both dc go to bed gor naps when we are home but were/are happy to sleep in their buggys or on sofas etc. I strip bottoms and long tops off but ds is almost always just in a nappy So he's used to it.

Hi Wiggy
We use blackout blinds in ds's bedroom for naps and nighttime. He always knew the difference between naps and bedtime but having the blackout blind and also putting him in his grobag helps him to know its 'sleep' time.

Incidentally, he will doze off fine in the car and buggy too. So he doesn't only need pitch black to sleep!

Thanks guys, I've been putting blind down, swaddling& using a little lights/sounds projector and it's all worked a charm! Can't believe how much progress we've made in less than a week. We owe mumsnet a huge thanks!

Thats good to hear! I know ive personally spent a lot of time worrying whether DD will recognise that its time for the 'big sleep' if i do something different with her routine or something like the blackout curtains (tin foil) which might 'confuse' her. But its just not the case. She knows when its time for the 'big sleep' cos shes bloody knackered

Both my DC's have slept in darkened room, in cot etc for all sleeps.
I work on having one set of sleep cues. Think mine knows when it is bedtime by the routine, bath etc..