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If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. There are several night lights on the market that are suitable for both children and adults. Share on Pinterest A quick look at the 7 best night lightsBest for indoor and outdoor use: LOFTEK LED Night Light BallBest for motion sensor activation AMIR Motion Sensor Night LightBest with a sound machine: TaoTronics White Sound Machine Smart Nursery LightBest for young children LumiPets Night LightBest for babies VAVA Baby Night LightBest for bathrooms Ailun Motion Sensor Toilet Night LightBest for long lasting service: MAZ-TEK Plug-In LED Night LightNight lights can aid relaxation before bed, reduce fear of the dark, and provide lighting at night for better visibility. This article explains the benefits of using a night light, lists some of the best options available to buy online, and suggests some alternatives. Benefits and risks of night lights Night lights are useful for people with nyctophobia, or an intense fear of the dark. This is common in children but can affect anyone at any age. If a night light helps a person fall asleep and sleep better during the night, this may support overall health. Lack of adequate sleep may increase the risk of certain chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. 2021 research also suggests that light therapy that uses blue-enriched white light may improve sleep quality in those with Alzheimer’s disease who experience sleep disturbance. It may also decrease the symptoms of nonseasonal depression. A potential disadvantage of using a night light for children is that they may become dependent on it to sleep as they get older. For adults sleeping with partners, there may be a disagreement about keeping a light on at night. Night lights may also emit light wavelengths that can disturb sleep by reducing the amount of melatonin the brain produces. Melatonin is a hormone that helps induce sleep. List of night lights Below, we look at some night lights for a person to consider. Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication. Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here. Best for indoor or outdoor use LOFTEK LED Night Light Ball This night light offers 16 colors and four dynamic lighting modes. The light and colors are soft, and people can dim them as needed during the night. This product is suitable for adults or children and is operable via remote control. The round design is appealing and suitable for different settings. The product is also waterproof, so it is safe to use outdoors. It is also completely wireless, so it will not use plug sockets. With its bright colors, this night light can function equally well in the nursery or the pool. In the nursery, it helps children who may be hesitant about the dark drift off to sleep. In pool areas, it can function as a party light. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: yesColors: red, green, blueDimmable: noCordless: yesPrice: around $60SHOP NOW Best for motion sensor activation AMIR Motion Sensor Night Light This product comes in packs of six individual lights. They are available in bright white or warm white. A person can attach these small lights to any indoor surface, including walls. They come with self-adhesive magnets to attach them to nonmetallic surfaces. They are battery operated, so they do not use up mains plug sockets. If a person gets up at night, the motion sensor activation allows them to see where they are going without using a main light and disturbing other household members. The motion sensor in these night lights, which are suitable for most surfaces, only turns the lights on when it is dark and detects motion within 10 feet. Additionally, it turns the light off if it does not detect motion for 15 seconds, which saves on battery power. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: noColors: bright or warm whiteDimmable: noCordless: yesPrice: around $22 for a pack of 6SHOP NOW Best with a sound machine TaoTronics White Sound Machine with Night Light This combination of night light and sound machine emits a soft, warm white or colored light. It offers 25 soundtracks to help a person fall asleep. These sounds include nature sounds, animal sounds, and lullabies. Sound machines may aid sleep, so this night light is suitable for helping people who are easily awoken or disturbed by environmental noises or other people in the bed. The TaoTronics night light is operable via voice control with Alexa or an app. Preset light and sound combinations help with immediate use. It can also store five personalized combinations. The combination of soft light with soothing sounds makes this night light helpful for those who are trying to soothe an infant to sleep or negotiate late-night diaper changes or feeding. The mix of natural sounds complements the gentle light, and a user van adjust all settings using buttons, the TaoTRonics app, or voice. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: noColors: soft, warm white, or coloredDimmable: yesCordless: noPrice: around $25SHOP NOW Best for young children LumiPets Night Light LumiPets night lights are suitable for babies and children. They are touch-activated and give a soft glow in eight different colors. These night lights consist of nontoxic silicone that is easily washable and safe for children to pick up, use, and play with. LumiPets night lights come in a range of cute animal characters, including rabbits, foxes, owls, cats, and unicorns. The brightness is adjustable, and the user can set the light on a timer to turn off during the night once the person is asleep. The different shapes these night lights come in make them a good choice for young children, who can find the softly glowing light of a bunny or unicorn a soothing nighttime companion. With 12 hours of battery life, a child can play with the light for hours before it is time to go to sleep. A person can adjust the night light colors and brightness to change moods. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: unspecifiedColors: nine different colorsDimmable: yesCordless: USB-rechargeable batteryPrice: around $25 SHOP NOW Best for babies VAVA Baby Night Light The VAVA Baby Night Light can help babies fall asleep and soothe them during nursing or diaper changes. The light offers a warm glow that a person can set on a 1.5-hour timer so that it does not disturb people once they have fallen asleep. The night light features LEDs that filter blue light or short-wave light from screen media devices, which research suggests can negatively affect sleep, with one study stating that blue light may delay melatonin production. The VAVA Baby Night Light is waterproof, suitable for outdoor use, and made from safe materials suitable for children and toddlers to play with. Adjusting brightness, changing modes, or changing colors with a single tap makes this night light a good choice for people juggling diapers, bottles, and infants on the verge of sleep. With its gentle light soothing a baby to sleep, the light can be adjusted and then shuts off automatically without disturbing the baby. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: yesColors: six pastel colorsDimmable: yesCordless: rechargeablePrice: around $24SHOP NOW Best for bathrooms Ailun Motion Sensor Toilet Night Light People often awake in the night to use the bathroom. This LED night light provides children and adults with the gentle light they need to visit the bathroom safely. The unit hangs on the outside of the toilet and transforms the toilet into a “bowel of light.” People can choose from eight light colors or opt for a color cycle. The light turns on when it detects movement and stays on for 2 minutes after it detects no movement. This should help to ensure safety for all ages. The company claims this night light is highly water-resistant, easy to clean, and requires three AAA batteries. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: yesColors: eight different colorsDimmable: noCordless: battery operatedPrice: around $14 for a pack of twoSHOP NOW Best long lasting MAZ-TEK Plug-In LED Night Light Providing more than 20,000 hours of light, this dusk to dawn night light turns on automatically when the surrounding light dims and turns off when the surroundings grow brighter. A person can adjust the brightness level with a slider, but if turned off completely, it will not automatically turn back on. Individuals may typically use this night light in hallways, stairways, children’s rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The manufacturer describes the light as soft white, which may make it more soothing than some other night lights. It plugs into a standard power outlet and leaves enough room for a person to freely use the second outlet. This night light’s key features are:Waterproof: noColors: cool whiteDimmable: yesCordless: yesPrice: around $17SHOP NOW Night light comparison The below table compares the night lights mentioned in this article.LOFTEK LED Night Light BallAMIR Motion Sensor Night LightTaoTronics White Sound Machine Smart Nursery LightLumiPets Night LightVAVA Baby Night LightAilun Motion Sensor Toilet Night LightMAZ-TEK Plug-In LED Night LightBestfor indoor or outdoor usewith motion sensor activationwith a sound machinefor young childrenfor babiesfor bathroomlong lastingWaterproof yesnonounspecifiedyesyesnoLight colorred, green, bluebright or warm whitesoft, warm white, or colorednine different colorssix pastel colorseight colorscool whiteDimmablenonoyesyesyesnoyesCordlessyesyesnoUSB-rechargeable batteryrechargeable batterybattery operatedyesPricearound $60around $22 for a pack of 6around $25around $25around $24around $14 for a pack of two around $17 How to choose A person may choose a night light according to how they intend to use it. Common uses may include:supporting young children who may be fearful of the darkkeeping hallways and stairs safe at nightilluminating bathrooms and kitchens for nighttime needsproviding gentle light for an infant’s nighttime care Alternatives to night lights Sound machines are one alternative to night lights. They can play relaxing music, sounds, podcasts, or white noise, which may distract from environmental noises and help people fall asleep. Learn more about white noise machines here. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule and practicing good sleep hygiene can also help a person fall asleep without a night light. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend:going to bed at the same time every nightgetting up at the same time each morningensuring that the bedroom is quiet, dark, and relaxingnot using devices such as televisions, laptops, tablets, or cell phones in the bedroomavoiding alcohol, caffeine, and large meals before bedexercising regularly during the day Get more tips for falling asleep quickly and naturally here. When to contact a doctor A person may want to contact a doctor if they have symptoms of insomnia. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) says that the symptoms of insomnia may include:difficulty getting to sleepdifficulty staying asleepwaking up too earlylow moodanxiety about sleepfatigue in the morning The NSF also claims that people who have chronic conditions — such as arthritis, depression, or thyroid conditions — are at higher risk of insomnia. People who have irregular working hours, take certain medications, or drink a lot of alcohol or caffeine may also be at higher risk of insomnia. If a child cannot sleep without a night light, having a conversation with a doctor about treating potential phobias of the dark may be useful. Sleep problems in children with disabilities can affect the child’s learning, behavior, mood, and overall health. If a child is having difficulty sleeping and is showing symptoms of anxiety, talking with the child about their worries may help relax them. Talking with a doctor about anxiety may also be useful. Frequently asked questions Below, we cover some common questions relating to night lights. What color night light is best for sleep Any warm night light colors, such as orange and red, may have a calming effect to help sleep. However, it may also come down to personal preference, as determined by a 2017 study. Researchers found that during two experiments, each timing how long it took participants to fall asleep, the fastest times came from those using their preferred color of night light. How many lumens should a night light be Some night light manufacturers state that night lights with less than 50 lumens are less likely to interfere with sleep-wake cycles, but there is limited scientific data to support this. Another way to measure brightness is through watts. Night lights typically range from 4–7 watts. Do night lights disturb sleep In general, light may interfere with a person’s ability to sleep. However, little evidence currently supports claims that night lights can disturb sleep, and further research will help determine this. Summary There are many night light options that a person can try that are suitable for both children and adults. Although some research suggests that some light wavelengths can have a negative impact on sleep, research into light therapy suggests that light can be useful for certain mental health conditions. Night lights can also be comforting to children who are getting used to sleeping on their own. Night lights can help adults see around their home if they need to get up during the night. Healthy sleeping routines and certain other technology, such as sound machines, can help induce sleep or improve sleep quality. Last medically reviewed on August 3, 2022Mental HealthSleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia 13 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Afshar, P. F., et al. (2016). Effect of white noise on sleep in patients admitted to a coronary care.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923834Brainard, G. C. (2008). Sensitivity of the human circadian system to short-wavelength (420-nm) light [Abstract].https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18838601Do I have insomnia? (2020).https://www.thensf.org/do-i-have-insomniaHelping your disabled child sleep. (2022).https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/help-disabled-child-sleepHisler, G. C., et al. (2020). Screen media use and sleep disturbance symptom severity in children.https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(20)30193-5/fulltextLee, S., et al. (2017). Effect of color light stimulation using LED on sleep induction time.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5443998Perera, S., et al. (2016). Light therapy for non-seasonal depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4998929Sleep and chronic disease. (2018).https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/chronic_disease.htmlŠmotek, M., et al. (2020). Evening and night exposure to screens of media devices and its association with subjectively perceived sleep: Should "light hygiene" be given more attention?https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(19)30258-X/fulltextSeong, J. K., et al. (2021). Positive effect of timed blue-enriched white light on sleep and cognition in patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-89521-9Tips for better sleep. (2016).https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htmlTuunainen, A., et al. (2004). Light therapy for non-seasonal depression.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669243Viola, A. U., et al. (2008). 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