Using Decor to Help Get Your Baby to Sleep

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

Babies and young children require a lot of sleep. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that infants get between 12 and 15 hours of sleep a day, with toddlers needing only slightly less than that. Without this all-important sleep, children become fussy and nearly impossible to console, leaving their parents grasping at straws as they try to find a solution. Unfortunately, sometimes little ones refuse to sleep, even when the adults in their lives know they need it. The older a baby gets, the more likely they are to fight sleep, and the less likely they are to get enough sleep-hours in each day. Because the amount of sleep a child gets directly affects their mood, their ability to absorb information, and in many cases, the parents' ability to get some shut-eye of their own, putting the baby to bed sometimes becomes the primary focus on a day-to-day basis. If you are one of the many parents searching for a way to help your child sleep, you may feel as though you've already tried everything. From co-sleeping to the "cry it out" method, parents are certainly willing to do a lot to ensure their child is getting the sleep they need. However, there is one thing you may have overlooked in your search for a solution: your little one's nursery decor. Sure, this may sound crazy, but by changing out the decor in your baby's room, you may be able to help them fall asleep more quickly and get a better quality of sleep. Here are some of the decor items you may want to consider adding to your nursery.

Blackout Window Treatments

This is by far the most important new piece of decor you will want to purchase on your quest for more sleep. Blackout window treatments are the perfect solution for blocking out light, which will make sleep come more easily to your tiny dreamer. Additionally, they help block out unwanted noises, which may try to creep in just as your little one is drifting off. Studies have shown that a completely dark room contributes to a higher quality sleep, meaning blackout shades can help your baby sleep more soundly. As an added bonus, there are a variety of blackout window treatment options available, so you are sure to find something that fits right in with your nursery theme.

Customized Bedding

Much ofthe nursery bedding available on the market is colorful and fun, often incorporating favorite characters or animals. While this is fun to look at, it is sometimes a distraction at bedtime. If you find that your little one's current bedding is too stimulating for nap-time and bedtime, you will definitely want to look into getting something different. One option is to purchase customized bedding. By doing this, you will be able to choose a fabric that is cool, calm, and relaxing, while still matching the remaining decor in your baby's nursery. Additionally, custom bedding made by a bedding professional is much more likely to hold up for years to come, meaning your little one can hold onto his or her crib bedding for their own child, or you can pass it down to the next little member of your family.

Add Lavender

If your baby is old enough to sit up on their own, he or she is now old enough to sleep with a stuffed animal. Why not add a cute, lavender-scented animal to the nursery decor? This item could serve as a bit of company throughout the night, and the lavender scent is just relaxing enough that it may push your little one over the edge and off into dreamland. There are a wide variety of lavender-scented stuffed animals available, so you should have no problem finding one to match your decor. By following these simple tips, we are confident you will be on your way to helping your baby fall asleep and stay asleep. Why not get started today? You'll be surprised what a difference a few tweaks to the decor can make!