Go outside to sleep better!

Often the reason that infants don’t sleep through the night is because internal clock is still being established.  We all have an internal clock that helps us to wake alert in the morning when it is bright and get tired at night when it is dark.  This clock is known as our circadian rhythm.  This clock helps our bodies know when to produce a chemical melatonin which helps induce a restful sleep.

During the first few months of a baby’s life their circadian rhythm is muddled and that is why they sleep often as much during the day as at night.

One of the best ways to encourage the circadian rhythm to settle down and know when to produce melatonin is by being brought outside every day.   This is important for adults as well as children.   An infant’s ability for sound sleep is connected to the amount of natural light the brain reads through the eyes, which signals the production of melatonin.

So try and get you and your child outside in the morning and again in the early afternoon to help sleep better.

Try the following;

• Ensure your baby gets 30 minutes to one hour of outside light per day, either indirect or direct.

• Indirect light is also effective, and should include more than 30 minutes of exposure. A bright window can do the trick.

• To determine if the baby is waking up before getting a good night’s sleep, study the child’s behaviour during the day. Moodiness is a good indicator that they need more light to trigger their night time sleep pattern.

• Research has shown that adults that get outside and get some daylight and exercise will have more energy during the day and will also sleep better at night.