Lighting for children’s rooms

Your child’s bedroom is not just for sleeping - it’s their personal space for playing with friends, toys, making things or doing their homework. And the right lighting will help your children enjoy all their activities. Few parents ever take into consideration of the fact that lighting for children’s bedroom affects their growth and eventually the kinds of adults they evolve into.

Timothy Kibombo who owns a shop near Nakasero market that specialises in selling lighting accessories and items agrees with the notion that the better the lighting of children’s rooms the better they become. “You simply cannot ignore the lighting of your child’s room in this modern era”, says Kibombo. He further advises that basing on the age group, there are variations in how a child’s room should be decoyed in lights.

Going about the lighting
According to the children’s lighting company website, Ceiling lights can create a wonderful ambient glow in children’s bedrooms. Whether you need a flush fitting for a low ceiling or a lighting pendant there is a light with a theme, novelty or character your child will love. With children’s lamps safety is priority so make sure lamps and lampshades are tucked away out of reach of smaller children and toddlers.

Carol Birungi doing a master’s student in psychology advises parents to have a night light for younger children. In her view, a night light assures kids of safety when going to sleep and makes them feel secure since at this stage of life they are so scared of the dark and having nightmares. There is a wide range of night lights available and many include fun features such as torches, clocks, alarms and light displays. Choose from rechargeable lamps to small night lights which plug into sockets – safely illuminating the way to doors or hallways.

Older children need additional task lighting to help with homework, using the computer or craft projects – a good desk lamp or wall light will help them see clearly and avoid eye strain. Lights need to be positioned carefully so they don’t create shadows on the desk. Studies show that good lighting improves your child’s concentration and productivity. Decorative lighting fixtures add personality to your child’s room as well as enhance its decor and style. You can find a light to match every colour scheme or theme - from football, planes and pirates to butterflies, fairies and princesses. A decoration of their favourite cartoon characters – Disney Cars, Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo and many more is another great addition not to be forgotten.

Endless reaping from proper lighting
In the case of autistic children, proper lighting can help stimulate them. According to the Autism Learning Felt website, these colours can over stimulate an autistic child and make her agitated. Chose light versions of your child’s favorite colour, or choose light blue and aqua colors, as they’re more calming. Fluorescent lights for example are not recommended since they are known to cause seizures in autistic children.

“Most children should sleep in the dark or in a dimly lit room. The reason is that melatonin, a natural hormone that our body produces and which helps stimulate our going to sleep can be inhibited by bright light” says Dr Vincent Iannelli, M.D., a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and author of The Everything Father’s First Year Book. According to him, bright lights in kids’ rooms can result into sleep disorders and increased nightmares. In fact children who sleep with a light on are significantly more likely than children who sleep in the dark to grow up short-sighted and having to wear glasses.

Whatever your take on how to light your child’s room, it can be the clear distinction between proper growth and growth disorders.
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