Darkening nursery for naps?

Jennifer43

I'm sorry I am full of questions today, but does anyone have darkening curtains/shades that they pull for their LO to nap? I know I have heard good and bad things about this affecting their sleep habits (confusing night/day, etc.) and am curious as to what you think. C's new room is super bright during the day which I think keeps him from napping as long as he could (I hung a blanket today to make his room darker and that coupled with swaddling has kept him asleep for 2 hours!) but I'm wondering if this is a good idea. I would think as long as he gets a good nap, and already has his night sleep figured out, it would be okay, but would like to hear what yall think/have heard/do.

Thanks!

AprilJT

I personally don't darken the nursery for naps.  Right now Phoebe naps in her swing in the living room and I don't even turn the lights off for nap time.  I don't think it would hurt anything and the only problem I can see forming is he won't take a nap unless its dark out and if you don't see that as a problem then go for it. 

MrsBlayne

I have some blackout curtains. They don't totally meet in the middle so it's not totally dark in there, but her room faces west so it was super bright in the afternoon/ evening so I felt like I needed to do something. I also turn off the light when I get her ready for her nap to kinda signal that it is time for sleep.

Butterflie6381

We darken the room for naps.  Lil Miss's room has two windows that get full afternoon sun -- and it is incredibly bright.  Pulling the shade and closing the curtains makes it comfortable, but not totally dark.  It has come to signal nap time, and as soon a soon as she wakes in the am and after nap, we open them up to look for the sunshine.  However, if her room had the same level of light as my bedroom, I probably wouldn't have used darkeners.  I think it really depends on how much light the room actually gets.

mrsquetee09

Nia's still in her co-sleeper in our bedroom which gets full sun (south facing). She naps just fine. Before she was born I went nuts telling DH that we had to get darkening curtains, but he refused saying it wasn't necessary. So far he's right!

ladybugg82

We have room darkening shade for Austin room's. I haven't really noticed a difference in his sleep habits. We keep his room dark here for naps and sleeps 1-2 hours. But he sleeps just the same at my MIL's with just mini blinds and no darkening.

 

Jennifer43

Thanks for the input! C would go down pretty easy at our other house for naps, which was pretty dark in his room, and since we moved here, he hasn't napped as easily and his room is super bright. I hung up a blanket yesterday that darkened his room to see if it would help and he slept for 2 1/2 hours! Then took another 45 minute nap fairly easily later. It might have been a fluke but we are going to try it again today. I leave it a little light in there before I put him down and then open them up before I get him up. Hopefully this helps with nap time.