Gina Ford and Nightlights

[Judd]

Hello, any anecdotes or opinions would be gratefully received! We used GF with DD (now 2.5 yrs) and dutifully used blackout curtains, never thinking of putting on a nightlight whilst she was asleep. However, DH is convinced that DS (8 weeks) settles better with a nightlight on (still with blackout curtains) whereas I'm not sure that he can even see enough to appreciate it being on, and worry that in the future it will just wake him up fully (would hate 5am wakings!!)
Is one of us being daft? If so, which one?!!!

Dear Judd,

Perhaps your husband knows something that the old witch dosn't know, why not just go with what he wants, and if DS does not establsh the same sleep patterns as DD, LET HIM DEAL WITH THE EARLY MORNING WAKINGS !!!!

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Well, we had black outs for DS ... from the day we started GF at 9 weeks ... and yes, it worked, he slept better.
BUT ... Now he is 4 years old we have another problem ...
He is afraid of the dark ... fairly normal for a 4 year old I believe ... but he can't go to sleep with a light on! So we have a total nightmare with nights now ... every night! Can't go to sleep with any light on and then wakes up anytime in the night afraid of the dark ...
So - I would say, get your baby used to having a bit of light to avoid the problems we have now!
FWIW DD is 5 months old and although we have dark blinds I am not obsessed with it being very dark as I do not want to be having the same problem 4 years down the track.

Thanks very much for your comments! We are trying today without the NL and so far naps have been as usual - no signs of distress - in fact he had to be woken from morning nap whereas the past few days he has woken crying after 35/40 mins!
DD seemed to become unhappy in a totally darkened room round about 18 months which was when we put in a nightlight. However, it is under a chest of drawers so it is just a little ray of light, and doesn't make the whole room lighter IYSWIM.
Ghosty, could you try putting a nightlight in a confined space - ie. under something ? Or what about putting a night light on a timer so that its not on when he goes to sleep, but appears as if by magic later on?
Blimey - here's me asking for advice and then dishing it out when its not even called for !!

What about one of those lights which goes on when the baby/child cries?

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Thanks for that advice everyone! Ha ha Judd ... your thread and I get the advice ...
I love the 'fish tank' idea Bloss! Will run that by DH ...
We have thought of putting DD in with DS to see if it would work but she is still a little unpredictable with her nights ... she is 5 months now and although 'sleeps through' in that I don't feed her anymore she does sometimes wake up at around 5ish and has a bit of a gurgle to herself ... until I plug the dummy in again.
Just wondering, you know the term 'Controlled Crying'? Is there such a thing as 'Controlled Gurgling' do you think?? !!
Judd ... Most babies wake after about 35/40 minutes don't they? When they come into light sleep ... the key is to get them to go back off on their own ...