Afraid of the Light

Up until recently, AJ's never really paid much attention to the light (or the dark, for that matter).  Sure, he likes light (light bulbs, TV screens, anything that glows) and certainly knows the difference between night and day (sleeps MUCH better at night, stays awake longer with daylight).  But very recently, we started to notice that he now CAN'T fall asleep (especially at afternoon or later naps) unless darkness is involved.

Maybe it's not really darkness.  Maybe whatever brings about the darkness simply shields him away from distractions.

It's not that unreasonable, actually.  If you think about it, most of us adults also don't sleep or nap well when there's abundant light in our environment.  Our circadian rhythms wire our bodies that way for a reason - so that we rest in the dark of night to gain enough energy to hunt during the daylight.

Anyhow, we've come up with a number of creative ways to ensure a dark environment conducive of sleep for AJ.  Here's some darkness induction ideas for those who are in the same predicament.

1. Blackout panel curtains
Pretty effective I must say, especially in his room.  We have blackout panels in our living room too (coincidence) which work well for the heavy AM sunlight.  These tend to be expensive though, for the decent ones that are "true" blackout panels. I've been told that blackout panel fabric is pretty cheap at places like JoAnn's - so if you have decent sewing skills, or if you don't give a **** and just hang them like your house is condemned, then you can save a few bucks.

2. Blanket fort playpen system
I've posted on this in the past.  It's just that playpens are so "huge" compared to babies, I really imagine them feeling like they're sleeping in a vast dessert.  We cover up the playpen with a bunch of blankets from the top. Don't worry, there's mesh around the playpen so baby definitely can breathe.  The idea is akin to why dogs like to sleep in crates.

3. Hooter hider
I regularly use this to cover him up while he's sleeping in his car seat.  Often times, this is all it takes for him to decide to go to sleep.  But I've taken it one step further and tried keeping him sleeping under it even if I'm not feeding him.  Works awesomely, plus there's a nice hole to stare at him from (to see if he's asleep!)

4. Wide brim sun hat
I don't use this just for outside play.  When we're at home and he needs to take a nap (but can't cause it's too bright), I will stick him in the Beco carrier and then put his hat on.  Key thing is, it's gotta be wide enough to cover his eyes.  Once he has "nothing" to look at, he'll eventually go down for his nap.

5. Closets
I don't know about you, but none of the closets in our house have windows.  Naturally, they are the darkest corners of our house!  Score.  Our downstairs bathroom also doesn't have windows, but unless you have a real reliable way to secure your child's binky, I wouldn't suggest walking around in the dark in a bathroom...

Happy sleeping!

Daddy: sleep dammit, sleep!

AJ: daddy built me a blanket fort! I WIN :)