Creating The Perfect Nursery
When I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't wait to start planning the nursery. I will even admit that I secretly hoped for a girl - just so I could go overboard on all things sparkly and frilly. And I wanted ALL the things. An ornate, antique crib, beautiful soft wall hangings, blankets and snuggly things galore, beautiful light fixtures... I was so excited to decorate that room! And then I found out I was having a boy... and had nightmares about trucks and monkeys for weeks. Just kidding! Sort of.
As he grew, I was just as determined to make his bedroom into a place that he would love to be. Books and toys and musical instruments and a dress up corner for him to enjoy hours of imaginative play. I had a whole Pinterest board full of inspiration. Unfortunately, he was never nearly as impressed by my efforts as I thought he should have been. AND, he didn't like sleeping in his bedroom. In fact, he preferred to sleep in the bare bones guest room. It took me a long time to figure out that all the creativity I had put into making his bedroom this magical place for him to be - was too distracting for him to sleep in. Mama friends, I hate to rain on your decorative parades, but it turns out, in the case of bedrooms, (darn it) less is actually more.
As disappointing as this sounds, it's important to remember what a nursery/bedroom is actually for - which is SLEEP. Because trust me - when you're up in the middle of the night in that snazzy, bedazzled nursery, you are going to wish you were looking at the back of your eyelids instead of that darling handmade mobile over the crib.
So. What does the perfect nursery - the one that is best for sleep - look like? Well…
+ It's dark
I'm talking pitch. black. Investing in some black out curtains will serve you much better than those wall decals you found on Etsy. I always advocate for baby sleeping in the same place - all the time. Which means, naps should also be in the crib. You'll find that naps go much smoother if there's no light coming into the room.
+ It's cool
A warm, comfortable sleep sack in a cool room will often lead to better sleep than no cover in a warm one. It may sound chilly, but studies have shown that babies sleep best in a room that's kept between 65-70 degrees.
+ It's comfortable
Babies sleep for roughly half of their day! So a good mattress is a great investment. It's worth your time to do some extensive research and spend the money you had set aside for murals and stuffed animals on the one thing your baby will be spending the vast majority of their time on. Which leads me to my next point...
+ It's boring
Music and soft lights, forest animals and mountain landscapes on the wall (because they're calling, and you must go) all seem like they should have a calming effect on a baby. But it's just the opposite. All of these things placed all over their room, no matter how strategically, are distracting and stimulating to little ones. Plain walls and a good changing table - those are the best decorating choices when it comes to baby's room.
I know that's a tough pill to swallow - because we really do look forward to putting together a little piece of paradise for our little ones. But keep in mind, this room serves a crucial function in your baby's day to day life, and that's to be a quiet, relaxing environment for them to get extensive amounts of sleep that their growing bodies need. Don’t worry. There will be plenty of time for them to express themselves with ridiculous amounts of knick-knacks and wall hangings when they are teenagers.
