Babies napping in dark, quiet rooms may not be getting the best start for restful nights, according to one of Britain’s leading infant sleep researchers. Instead, Professor Helen Ball, a scientific adviser for The Lullaby Trust, suggests that babies should nap in light-filled rooms with everyday background noises — such as the hum of a washing machine — to foster healthier and more natural sleep patterns.
Ball, an anthropologist at Durham University with over two decades of research and more than 5,000 families studied, believes that current parenting trends — particularly the rise of rigid sleep schedules and “baby sleep coaches” — are pushing families towards unrealistic and potentially counterproductive routines.
“Long daytime naps in dark rooms are like mini night-times,” Ball explains. “They can trick babies into extending their sleep pressure too early in the day, making them less likely to sleep well at night.”
Let the Light In: Daytime Naps Should Mimic the Day
Contrary to the growing popularity of blackout blinds and white noise machines, Ball advocates for an environment that mimics a baby’s natural surroundings.
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She encourages parents to allow infants and toddlers to fall asleep in rooms with daylight and gentle background noise. “This could be the sound of older siblings playing, a washing machine rumbling, or traffic from outside,” she says.
Ball notes that while a dark room may make it easier for parents to get a longer break during the day, it’s not necessarily what’s best for the baby. Babies need to accumulate “sleep pressure” — a biological buildup of tiredness through brain activity — before they naturally drift into sleep.
“Babies, like adults, need to be stimulated and active to feel tired. Forcing a nap when they aren’t ready often leads to prolonged struggles to settle and can throw off their entire sleep rhythm.”
Sleep Schedules vs. Natural Rhythms: The Growing Divide
The idea of a tightly regimented sleep schedule for babies has grown in popularity alongside the rise of sleep coaches and mobile apps that track “wake windows” — specific intervals where babies are supposedly primed for rest. Ball views this approach with concern.
“There’s a mounting obsession with controlling babies’ sleep patterns,” she says. “It’s becoming increasingly driven by technology and social media, with many parents feeling they’re failing if their baby doesn’t sleep to a precise timetable.”
Instead of rigid schedules, Ball recommends flexible, baby-led approaches that adapt to day-to-day changes in stimulation, feeding, and growth.
Even well-meaning indicators such as eye-rubbing, yawning, or ear-pulling — commonly interpreted as signs of tiredness — may actually signal boredom, she cautions.
NHS Advice Aligns with Natural Sleep Cues
The NHS supports a more relaxed approach. Its guidance encourages parents to distinguish between day and night with light and activity, stating:
“During the day, open curtains, play games, and do not worry too much about everyday noises when [babies] sleep.”
This contrast helps set a natural circadian rhythm and avoids confusion between night-time sleep and daytime naps. According to Ball, if babies experience long, quiet naps in darkened rooms, they are more likely to treat those as full sleep cycles, thus reducing their sleep needs at night.
The Crying Controversy: Debating Sleep Training
One highly debated method in baby sleep circles is sleep training, particularly the “cry-it-out” or controlled crying technique, which involves allowing babies to self-soothe by crying for short intervals.
Ball warns that this approach stems from outdated ideas about parental control and discipline.
“There was a belief that babies needed to learn who’s boss — that they had to be ‘trained’ to sleep. But now we understand much more about infant psychology and biology, and this thinking is largely discredited.”
Instead, she recommends adjusting adult schedules to better suit babies’ natural rhythms. For example, going to bed earlier so parents can benefit from their baby’s longest initial sleep stretch.
She also suggests that gradually shifting older babies’ bedtimes later may delay their first night waking, giving parents more uninterrupted rest.
Experts Weigh In: Is There Room for Flexibility?
Not everyone agrees that flexible, baby-led sleep is best in every case. Andrea Grace, a sleep consultant who supports structured naps, defends the concept of scheduled wake windows.
“These windows help prevent overtiredness, which can actually make it harder for babies to fall asleep,” she says. “For some families, especially those under stress, having a pattern to follow can provide confidence and consistency.”
Professor Paul Gringras, a pediatric sleep specialist at King’s College London, also highlights the importance of tailoring sleep strategies to individual families.
“In the early months, extremely rigid sleep schedules don’t reflect natural infant rhythms,” he says. “But for some families, especially where mental health is impacted, having a basic routine can be beneficial.”
Beware of Unregulated Sleep Consultants
Gringras also urges caution when choosing a sleep consultant, as the field remains unregulated. “Parents should check qualifications and scientific backing,” he advises. “Some practices, such as the use of cortisol monitoring, are debated in research, and poor guidance can do more harm than good.”
Indeed, studies on sleep training have produced mixed results. Some show that controlled crying elevates stress hormones, while others find no significant difference in cortisol levels or long-term outcomes.
From Fish Tank Hums to Household Chores: Embracing Real Life
Ultimately, Ball encourages parents to embrace the natural hustle and bustle of daily life rather than striving for an artificial environment of perfect silence and pitch-black rooms.
“Real life isn’t quiet,” she says. “Babies adapt, and by being part of our routines — hearing washing machines, older siblings laughing, or dishes clinking — they learn to self-regulate and understand that naps are temporary, not nighttime.”
Rather than placing blame or prescribing a single solution, Ball hopes to widen the conversation about baby sleep to include a variety of approaches that are informed by research, responsive to babies’ cues, and respectful of parents’ wellbeing.
Conclusion: Balancing Biology and Routine
While no one-size-fits-all solution exists, Professor Ball’s message is clear: sleep isn’t just about duration or darkness — it’s about biology, environment, and adaptability.
As baby sleep continues to be a hot topic across parenting blogs and medical circles alike, Ball and her peers urge a return to intuitive caregiving — and perhaps a new appreciation for the hum of the laundry machine.
