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Is It Safe to Leave a Night Light on All Night?

A night light is a small-sized electrical light source that uses low power and is placed in indoor areas that become dark at night to provide comfort or convenience. They create a feeling of security and lessen fears of the dark, mostly in children.

Nightlight illuminates the comprehensive layout of a room at night without leading to eye strain that is caused by the standard light, hence preventing tripping down.

Having good night sleep is a condition many children and adults struggle to get. But is it safe to leave a night light on all night?

Although night light is a conventional way of providing a more relaxed sleep, it also has its demerits. The following are the major merits and demerits of leaving a nightlight on all night.

is it safe to leave a night light on all night

Benefits of using a night light on all night

  • Relieve nyctophobia

Nyctophobia refers to the fear of the dark. Night Light illuminates a room hence relieving nyctophobia mostly to small children.

Nightlights emit a delicate and soothing glow that discloses a room’s comprehensive layout without the need for the major light source to be switched on. This view reassures children by giving a sense of familiarity and general safety that enables them to fall asleep.

Also, the kids will not feel scared when they wake up at night hours by finding themselves submerged in darkness and an unknown environment.

  • Better visibility

Nightlights provide light in the room that enables you to see objects and prevent tripping over that can lead to injury caused by falls. You can set up these lights in story houses to provide a better view of staircases and prevent tripping down.

Also, a night light helps guide parents to the children’s room without stepping over to cluttered obstacles that are common in the kid’s room, including toys, clothing books, and many others.

  • Security

Lighting during night hours acts as a deterrent to thieves and robbers who break into homes and steal valuables. Nightlights provide enough light that reduces the likelihood of being robbed.

  • Cost-effective

Using a nightlight is more cost-effective compared to using overhead light. Nightlight uses less electricity than ceiling lights. Therefore leaving night light provides not only less invasive lighting but also saves the power bill.

 

Drawbacks of turning on nightlights all night

Despite the many benefits of using nightlights, it can also cost you. The following are some of the problems that are posed by using the night light.

  • Light nights can be distracting.

Some night light models, especially those with movements, can cause distractions and prevent you from falling asleep faster.

tips of using night lights

  • Light night mess with melatonin production

One of the major issues associated with a nightlight is that it deters the production of melatonin. This hormone is sleep-inducing, essential in making you tired for you to sleep. It shortens your body’s internal perception to the night duration.

Therefore, sleeping with nightlights makes it difficult for you to fall asleep or experience poor sleep quality. It also impacts glucose homeostasis, thermoregulation, and blood pressure.

  • Fire risks

Nightlight can pose the risk of fire. When left to light throughout the night, some become excessively hot and can cause them to melt, posing a risk of fire if they are in contact with very flammable materials.

Therefore night lights should not be set up or plugged near the curtains, bed coverings, or other potentially flammable materials or objects. Again ensure that the nightlight you buy is not covered up with material that can cause it to overheat, such as cardboard or tape.

Also, consider a nightlight equipped with low wattage bulbs to reduce the risk of overheating.

  • Power draining

Every electrical gadget that is on all night can be power draining. Even if nightlight is more cost-effective in terms of power usage than the standard lights, leaving them throughout the night can greatly drain your power bill.

Also, for the light nights using batteries, the need for regularly replacing the batteries can be expensive and a hassle.

 

Nightlight Safety Tips

If you consider putting a nightlight in your room, follow these tips to enhance its safety.

1. Check the brightness – Choose a nightlight with low brightness. High brightness night light prevents you from falling asleep quickly and also affects melatonin production.

2. Opt for less distracting – Avoid buying a light night that you think will cause too many distractions such as those that look too scary or exciting or those with movements.

3. Consider low wattage bulbs – Consider low-wattage bulbs that are less likely to overheat and melt.

4. Location – Ensure that you mount a nightlight in a place that it is not adjacent to or touching the bed, carpet, curtains, or any other flammable material.

5. Nightlight covering material – Do not buy a nightlight covered with flammable material such as cardboard or paper because it can easily ignite a fire in case the nightlight overheat and melt.

 

Conclusion

night light helps sleep

Nightlight provides comfort and safety. It prevents tripping over objects when moving at night and soothes children to sleep. However, precautionary measures should be taken when buying and using these devices.

It is advisable to buy a nightlight with low brightness and one that is equipped with a low wattage bulb to prevent overheating. Also, avoid the ones that are designed with features that can cause a lot of distractions.

When using a nightlight, you should not cover it with flammable materials. Also, please do not set it up near a bed, curtains, or other flammable objects. Also, when purchasing and using this device, consider the above tips to enhance its safety.