Create a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom

Before you begin any kind of sleep program, it's a good idea to set the stage, so to speak, and make sure to create the ultimate sleep environment for your kid. You want to turn your kid's bedroom into a comfy, calm sleep haven. Sweep through your kid's room to make sure it's "sleep friendly."
Here's how to create a sleep-friendly bedroom:

• Create the best room temperature for sleeping. People sleep better in cooler temperatures (65-70 degrees Fahrenheit). Since babies should not sleep under blankets, consider dressing them in a blanket sleeper. Toddlers who kick their blankets off or don't like them may also like a blanket sleeper or pajamas with feet.
• Install room darkening shades if your child wakes up very early or has trouble napping.
• Install a dim night-light (4-7 watts). Ideally not next to the bed or one that creates "scary" shadows.
• Consider using a white-noise machine or a fan if you live in a particularly noisy home. Children can and should learn to sleep through routine household sounds but some places are just really loud and some kids are really sensitive.
• Remove the TV from your kid's room. Watching television puts the brain into a light trance, similar to the first stages of sleep. You want this to occur in a crib or bed, without the television as a sleep crutch. Also, as kids get older, they learn to put the TV on themselves, and if it's in their room, it becomes harder for you to monitor what they are watching and when they are watching it. Ditto for computers.
• If you live in a one-bedroom apartment or are sharing a room with your child and wish to create a separate space, try a room divider. Either buy a screen or hang a sheet to create a makeshift wall.
• Make sure your child's bed or crib is comfortable and safe.
• Consider putting a dimmable light in the room so you can begin to dim the lights as you approach bedtime to signal to the body to slow down and get ready for sleep.

Have fun with this! Think about whether you would want to sleep in this room if you were your kid. Creating positive feelings about your child's bedroom and sleep will set invaluable groundwork for the years to come. After all, by the age of 5, most children have spent half their lives asleep!
Is your kid's room sleep friendly? If yes, tell me why! If not, what can you do to make it a little bit more sleep friendly? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More sleep advice articles:

• Commit to Getting Your Kid to Sleep
• Educate Yourself About Your Child's Sleep
• Start a Sleep Log
• The Importance of Consistency When Sleep Coaching
• Create a Soothing Bedtime Routine
• The Importance of Putting Your Kid to Sleep "Drowsy but Awake"
• The Sleep Lady Shuffle: What It Is and How To Do It
• Do Step 1 of the Sleep Lady Shuffle
• Do Step 2 of the Sleep Lady Shuffle
• Do Step 3 of the Sleep Lady Shuffle
• Be Your Kid's Nap Coach
• Check Off Your Sleep Coaching Checklist
• Create a Solid Sleep Plan
• Nightmares and Night Terrors (And How to Tell the Difference)
• Potty Training and Sleep
• End Early Rising
• The Sleep Lady on Transitioning Your Kid from a Crib to a Big-Kid Bed
• Ending Bedtime Stalling