Setting Up the Perfect Nursery Sleep Station

Creating the right sleep environment goes beyond choosing a good bassinet. The surrounding conditions—lighting, temperature, sound, and organisation—all contribute to how well your baby sleeps and how smoothly night-time routines run. This guide helps you design a sleep station that supports safe, restful sleep for your newborn while making your life as a parent easier.

Location, Location, Location

Where you place the bassinet matters more than you might think. For the first six to twelve months, Red Nose Australia recommends room sharing—having your baby sleep in the same room as you, but in their own safe sleep space.

Master Bedroom Placement

Most parents position the bassinet next to their side of the bed (or the side of the parent who handles most night feeds). This allows you to see and reach your baby without fully waking or getting up. Consider these factors:

• Accessibility: Can you reach into the bassinet from a seated position in bed?
• Clearance: Is there room to walk around it at night?
• Bed proximity: Close enough for easy access, but not so close that bedding could fall into the bassinet
• Door and window positions: Avoid placing directly in a draught path

Living Space Considerations

During the day, you may want the bassinet in your main living area so baby can nap while you're nearby. If you plan to move the bassinet frequently, consider the path between rooms—will it fit through doorways? Are there steps or obstacles?

Lighting for Better Sleep

Light exposure plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms. Even newborns, who don't yet have established day-night patterns, begin developing these rhythms in the first few months. How you manage light can help this process.

Daytime Light Exposure

During waking hours, expose your baby to natural daylight. Open curtains, spend time near windows, and go outside when possible. This light exposure helps establish the difference between day and night.

Night-time Darkness

For night sleep, darkness is essential. Consider blackout curtains or blinds in the bedroom—these are particularly valuable during Australian summer when it stays light until late evening. Complete darkness signals to baby's developing brain that it's time for extended sleep.

Dim Light for Night Feeds

You'll need some light for nappy changes and feeds, but bright overhead lights can wake baby (and you) fully, making it harder to return to sleep. Instead, use:

• Red or warm-toned night lights: These wavelengths are less stimulating than white or blue light
• Dimmable lamps: Set to the lowest level that allows you to see what you're doing
• Motion-activated path lights: For safely navigating to the bathroom without switching on overhead lights

Temperature Control

The ideal room temperature for baby sleep is between 18-22°C. Australian homes can present challenges at both ends—cold winter nights and hot summer days—so having strategies for temperature regulation is important.

Cooling in Summer

Air conditioning set to a comfortable temperature is perfectly safe for babies. Position the bassinet away from direct airflow and ensure the room doesn't get too cold. Ceiling fans are also suitable as long as they don't create a strong draught directly over the bassinet.

For homes without air conditioning, strategies include:

• Using lighter-weight sleep clothing
• Placing a frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel near (not in) the bassinet to cool the air
• Ensuring good ventilation with open windows (secured safely)
• Using a fan directed at the wall rather than at baby

Heating in Winter

Avoid placing the bassinet near heaters, radiators, or in direct airflow from heating vents. Overheating is a risk factor for SUDI, so it's better to dress baby warmly than to make the room overly hot.

Consider a room thermometer near the bassinet to monitor temperature. Many baby monitors include this feature, providing useful data about your baby's sleep environment.

Sound Environment

Many parents find that some form of background sound helps their baby sleep, while others prefer silence. Both approaches can work; the key is consistency.

White Noise and Sound Machines

White noise can help mask household sounds that might startle baby awake—closing doors, conversation, dogs barking. If using a sound machine:

• Place it at least a metre away from the bassinet
• Keep the volume at a conversational level (around 50 decibels)—not louder
• Use continuous sound rather than intermittent sounds or music with varied volumes
• Consider whether you want baby to become dependent on it for sleep (some parents prefer to reserve it for travel or difficult nights)

Natural Household Sounds

You don't need to tiptoe around a sleeping baby. Normal household sounds—conversation, television at reasonable volume, kitchen noises—help baby learn to sleep through everyday disturbances. An environment that's too quiet can actually make baby more sensitive to sounds.

Organisation for Night-time Efficiency

When you're woken multiple times a night, efficiency matters. Having everything you need within arm's reach reduces time awake and helps you function better on broken sleep.

The Bedside Station

Set up a small table or caddy next to your bed with:

• Nappies and wipes for quick changes
• A change of baby clothes in case of leaks
• Burp cloths
• Water bottle and snacks for breastfeeding parents
• Phone charger (positioned away from the bassinet)
• Dim light source

Nappy Changing Setup

Decide whether you'll change nappies in the bedroom or another room. Many parents do night changes right next to the bed on a portable changing mat to minimise movement and disruption. Have a lined container or bag ready for dirty nappies so you don't need to walk to a bin.

Feed Station

For bottle feeding, consider having pre-measured formula and water ready so you can quickly prepare bottles. For breastfeeding, have pillows positioned for comfortable feeding and easy access to water and snacks.

Safety Considerations in Setup

As you set up your sleep station, keep safety paramount:

• Keep blind and curtain cords well out of reach of the bassinet
• Ensure nothing can fall into the bassinet from nearby surfaces
• Keep small objects, medications, and choking hazards away from the sleep area
• Secure furniture that could tip if grabbed
• Don't hang pictures or shelves directly above the bassinet
• Keep electrical cords tidy and away from the bassinet

Creating a Calming Atmosphere

While newborns don't need elaborate decor, the overall atmosphere of the sleep space can affect the mood of night-time parenting. A calm, organised space helps you feel more relaxed during those 3am feeds.

Consider neutral, calming colours for the immediate sleep area. Reduce visual clutter around the bassinet. Some parents find a small piece of soothing artwork or a plant (safely out of reach) creates a pleasant focal point during feeds.

Preparing for the Transition

Eventually, your baby will outgrow the bassinet and transition to a cot. You might begin this transition in your bedroom (if space allows for a cot) before eventually moving to a nursery.

If you're planning to use a nursery later, you might set up similar environmental elements—blackout blinds, sound machine, same temperature—so the transition is easier when the time comes. Consistency in the sleep environment, even as the sleep space changes, helps babies adjust.

The perfect nursery sleep station isn't about Instagram-worthy aesthetics (though that's a nice bonus). It's about creating a practical, safe, and comfortable environment that supports your baby's sleep development while making the intense early months more manageable for you.