How to create the best sleeping environment for your baby

Their new world is so exciting that sleep might not be the first thing on a baby’s mind when you want them to settle. But most babies simply need the right conditions to sleep – including wind-down time. Here are some tips to help set a sleep environment to get your baby in the mood for sleep. And when baby sleeps better – you do too!

A TULLSTA armchair with a Lofallet beige cover, a GULDVÄVARE blanket and a cushion in a pink cover on it, by a SUNDVIK cot.

1. Organise your storage so the room stays clutter-free

We might go on about it a bit too much, but good storage really is key when it comes to keeping clutter at bay.

And because we know babies need quite a lot of things once they arrive in the world, we’ve designed coordinated furniture ranges to hold all the essentials that accompany them through those busy early years. Coordinated furniture helps to set a streamlined look in the room too, which is one giant step towards a calm, clutter-free space.

Once all the important stuff is sorted, you can see how much room is left over for the fun stuff. It will probably be more than you expect!

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A white SUNDVIK wardrobe in a baby’s bedroom beside a white SUNDVIK cot. A flower mural is on the wall behind them.

See the SUNDVIK series

2. Choose a comfortable mattress

Setting baby’s sleeping area is as easy as 1,2,3.

First choose a mattress. All our baby mattresses are medium firm to firm – just right for little ones to feel supported and comfortable all night long.

Next, add one of our mattress protectors to keep it fresh, whatever little accidents might occur.

Finally top it off with a 100% cotton sheet, like this one from our GULDVÄVARE range. As with all our baby bedding, it will be super soft against your baby’s delicate skin.

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A SKÖNAST foam cot mattress in a white SUNDVIK cot with a ruffled blue GULDVÄVARE fitted sheet on top of it.

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3. From daytime naps to night feeds, get the lighting right

Mix up lots of different lighting sources to get good lighting for all the activities in baby’s room. Choose lights with a dimmer to easily switch the room into wind-down mode. Try keeping a low night light on near your baby’s bed – it will help make night feeds and changes run a bit more smoothly.

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A white/owl SOLBO LED table lamp that is switched on sits on a window sill beside an off-white LENDA curtain with tie.

A FLISAT wall storage holds books and a KORNSNÖ LED night light on a wall above a TULLSTA chair with a pink cushion on it.

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4. Switch into sleep mode with soft sounds

Whether you want to soften the mood after high-energy awake time, or help your baby fall asleep, a handy portable Bluetooth speaker can help.

Playing their favourite songs, lullabies, soft music, or even white noise when they’re ready to sleep, can help them settle during the bedtime routine. As well as giving them something nice to drift off to, it creates positive connections between calming sounds and sleep time that will support them as they get older.

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A waterproof pink VAPPEBY speaker hangs on an oak HÖVOLM rack with 6 knobs alongside a wash mit and clothing.

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5. Clear the air with an air purifier

They may be invisible to us, but unpleasant particles can exist in our indoor air, so why not improve baby’s sleep environment with help of an air purifier? It filters out particles like dust, pollen and chemicals meaning you and your baby can breathe cleaner air.

Prepare the room by switching on the air purifier before bedtime, to start the sleep routine with cleaner indoor air.

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A white FÖRNUFTIG air purifier on a green wall above a shelf with two green/light grey LEN boxes and baby accessories on it.

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6. Block-out blinds and curtains create sleep darkness

Bright light can disrupt babies’ sleep, so help them to get into a good sleep routine with a block-out blind. Finish dressing your window with a curtain that you can close in front of the blinds – it all adds to the cosy feel.

As your child gets older you can change the curtains to suit their developing tastes without altering the quality of the light – helping to maintain their good sleep routine.

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