Children’s bedroom lighting ideas guide

Night lights and dimmable lighting

The main purpose of a bedroom or nursery is to provide a comfortable and cosy place for a child to sleep; however, this can sometimes be a nightly challenge if children are prone to getting out of bed after ‘lights out’ or if they are afraid of the dark.

Night lights come in many designs to suit any style of décor and can be positioned to suit certain needs. For nervous sleepers it may be beneficial to place a night light closer to the bed, whereas night nights positioned at floor level can be useful for lighting the way for nighttime bathroom trips.

If additional lighting is required through the night, installing dimmer switches to ceiling and wall lights will allow lighting to be turned right down to provide an overall low-level light.

Creating a relaxing atmosphere with wall and side lights

Children’s bedrooms are generally full of toys and ‘fun’ things that are likely to encourage a child to want to stay awake. Setting the scene for bedtime, with soft, low LED lighting can help with the transition from playtime to bedtime, even more so if light is focused on and around the bed. Wall lights are a great way of providing a soft, low-level light in the bedroom and can work well if positioned on the wall above the bed for bedtime stories. Table lamps are also ideal for reading in bed, particularly for older children who may like to turn the light off them selves before going to sleep.

Fairy and string lights

String lights­—whether battery or mains operated—can be very effective when hung above the bed­, and the soft, twinkling light that they emit can create a magical, calming effect. There are numerous variants of string lights on the market aimed to suit children of all ages and tastes, with designs featuring anything from flowers and football to The Avengers! Whether you opt for traditional fairy lights or Marvel comic book heroes, do ensure that string lights are hung well out of reach.

Task lighting for a teenager’s bedroom

The lighting for a teenager’s bedroom falls into two distinct categories: relaxing and focused, therefore layered lighting is key.

Focused lighting for studying is likely to be an essential part of a teenage set-up so an adjustable­ angle poise lamp is ideal for directing crisp light exactly where it is required. Positioning a wall light above a desk also provides targeted task lighting without cluttering up the surface of the desk, which can be useful if space is limited.

Clear overhead lighting from a pendant light or recessed LED spot lights will add to the overall lighting of the room, and ­can be lowered to provide a more relaxing ambience by connecting to a dimmer switch.

Side lamps and string lights will instantly create a more relaxed ambience.

Screen glare—be it from a computer, tablet, smartphone or TV—can have a negative effect on sleep quality and it is advisable for screens to be put away well in advance of bedtime. To find out more about how children use screens—phones, tablets, consoles and TVs—in their bedrooms we conducted a survey, and here’s what we discovered…