Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found that babies who sleep well at night are exposed to twice as much light between midday and 4pm as poor sleepers.
Psychologist Yvonne Harrison, who carried out the study monitoring the light to which babies were exposed, said that higher light levels could make a baby's biological clock develop more quickly. She said, 'The biological clock regulates a number of bodily functions, including the secretion of melatonin, an important factor in well-balanced sleeping patterns.'
Dr Harrison suggests parents and carers should position babies to ensure they receive plenty of light in the afternoons. She said, 'It is best to take babies outside, as even on a gloomy day there is a lot more light than in an indoor room. If babies are inside, place them by a window and make sure the curtains are open. It doesn't matter if the babies are asleep or awake because their eyelids are thin and light can still get through.'
Babies and older children should also be encouraged to sleep without nightlights and dimmer switches. Dr Harrison added, 'Personally I think it's very important that children sleep without these. If you enforce the difference between day and night then it will encourage better sleeping patterns.'