NalaNight-time glossary
The words you run into when you're trying to get more sleep with a baby, explained in two sentences. Each one links to the page or guide that goes further.
A
- Amber light
- A warm orange-yellow light, between warm white and red. Softer on the eyes than white light at night, and bright enough to read a bottle's markings.Read: red, amber or white light at night? →
B
- Bedtime reminder
- A notification at the time you choose that says it's time to start the bedtime routine. A regular time helps the routine become a habit.Read: building a calm bedtime routine →
- Bedtime routine
- The same few calm steps every evening, in the same order: bath, pajamas, feed, story, lights down. Repetition tells a child what comes next, which makes falling asleep easier.Read: helping a toddler at bedtime →
- Blue light
- The short-wavelength part of light, strong in daylight, LEDs and screens. At night it is the color that most delays melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy.Read: red or white light at night? →
- Breathing light
- A light that slowly brightens and dims, like a calm breath. Some children find it soothing to watch while they fall asleep.Night lights for a child scared of the dark →
- Brightness
- How much light a lamp or screen gives off. At night, the dimmer the better: just enough to see what you're doing. Nala goes down to 5%.How dim should a night feed light be? →
- Brown noise
- A deep, rumbling noise where low frequencies are much louder than high ones, like a strong wind or a waterfall. Many adults find it less harsh than white noise.White, pink and brown noise in Nala →
C
- Circadian rhythm
- The body's internal 24-hour clock, which decides when we feel sleepy or awake. Light, especially in the evening and at night, is what resets it most.How light affects the body clock →
- Cluster feeding
- When a baby feeds many times close together, often in the evening or during growth spurts. Common in the first weeks, and a long stretch of night feeds for the parent.Read: night feeds without fully waking up →
- Color temperature
- How warm or cool a white light looks, measured in kelvin (K). Around 2,700 K looks warm and yellow; 5,000 K and above looks cool and bluish.Which light color at night? →
- Comfort object
- A soft toy or blanket a child holds to feel safe when a parent isn't there, sometimes called a lovey or transitional object. Often helps with fear of the dark.Other ways to help with the dark →
- Contact nap
- A nap a baby takes on a parent, on the chest or in a carrier. Common with newborns, who often wake when put down.White noise for the transfer to the crib →
D
- Decibel (dB)
- The unit for how loud a sound is. A quiet bedroom is around 30 dB, a calm conversation around 50 to 60 dB. Hospital nurseries aim to stay under 50 dB.Read: how loud should white noise be? →
- Display P3
- The wide color range iPhone screens can show. Its red is deeper than the standard (sRGB) red most apps use, which is why Nala's red looks truly red.Why Nala's red is a true red →
- Dream feed
- A feed given to a sleeping baby, usually just before the parent goes to bed, in the hope of a longer stretch of sleep after it.Set up night feeds that stay calm →
F
- Fear of the dark
- A very common fear that often starts around age 2 to 3, when imagination grows faster than the ability to tell what's real. It usually fades with time.Read: helping a toddler scared of the dark →
- Fireplace light
- A light that flickers gently like a fire, for a cozy, living glow instead of a fixed one.Free or Nala+: which lights are included →
- Fourth trimester
- The first three months after birth, when a newborn adjusts to life outside the womb. Many parents use womb-like sounds, rocking and closeness during this time.Womb and heartbeat sounds in Nala →
H
- Heartbeat sound
- A recording of a slow, steady heartbeat, close to what a baby heard in the womb. Some newborns settle faster with it.Listen to Nala's sounds →
L
- Lock-screen playback
- When a sound keeps playing after you lock your iPhone. Without it, white noise stops the moment the screen goes off. Nala's sounds keep playing.White noise that keeps playing locked →
- Loop
- A sound that plays over and over. Short loops have an audible restart that can wake a light sleeper; Nala uses long loops you don't hear start over.Why long loops matter →
- Lullaby
- A gentle song sung or played to help a child fall asleep. Nala has 6, played as a music box: Twinkle Twinkle, Brahms' Lullaby, Hush Little Baby, Au Clair de la Lune, Fais Dodo and Rock-a-bye Baby.Listen to a lullaby on the home page →
M
- Melatonin
- The hormone that rises in the evening and makes us sleepy. Light at night, blue light most of all and red light least, holds it back.Read: red or white light at night? →
- Moro reflex
- A newborn's startle reflex: arms fling out at a sudden noise or a feeling of falling, which can wake them. It fades over the first months.Steady sound to mask sudden noises →
- Music box
- A small mechanical box that plays a tune on tiny metal teeth. Its soft, bright sound is a classic for lullabies.Hear Nala's music-box lullabies →
N
- Nala+
- Nala's optional subscription, with a free trial. It adds all 27 sounds, 6 more lights, unlimited custom lights with 104 shapes, the breathing and fireplace animations and rainbow mode.Free or Nala+: what's included →
- Night diaper change
- Changing a diaper in the middle of the night. A dim red light lets you see what you're doing without waking everyone up with the ceiling light.A red light for night changes →
- Night feed
- Feeding a baby, by breast or bottle, during the night. Keeping the light dim and red and the room quiet helps everyone get back to sleep faster.A red light for night feeds →
- Night light
- A small, dim light left on at night so a child feels safe and a parent can see. A phone can be one, if the light is dim, warm and the screen stays out of reach.Turn your iPhone into a night light →
- Night terrors
- Episodes where a child seems to scream or panic while still deeply asleep, usually early in the night. Unlike nightmares, the child doesn't remember them in the morning.Nightmares, night terrors and the dark →
- Nightmare
- A frightening dream, more common in the second half of the night. The child wakes up, remembers it and needs comfort. A soft light can help them settle again.A night light for a scared toddler →
P
- Pink noise
- A noise with more weight in the low frequencies than white noise, like steady rain. It sounds softer and less hissy.White, pink and brown noise in Nala →
R
- Red light
- Light at the long-wavelength end of the spectrum. Red is the color your body clock is least sensitive to, which makes it a good choice for night feeds and changes, kept dim.Red light for night feeds, explained →
- Room sharing
- Having the baby sleep in the parents' room, in their own crib or bassinet. Pediatric guidelines recommend it for the first months, without sharing the bed.Light the room without waking the other parent →
S
- Safe sleep
- Pediatric advice to lower sleep risks: baby on their back, on a firm flat surface, with nothing else in the crib. That includes phones and sound machines, which belong out of reach.Where to put the phone →
- Sleep association
- Something a child links with falling asleep, like a feed, rocking, a sound or a comfort object. If it's gone when they wake at night, they may need it back to fall asleep again.Using white noise without a habit →
- Sleep regression
- A period when a baby who slept well starts waking more, often around 4 months, linked to changes in how their sleep works. It usually passes in a few weeks.Sounds that help a baby settle again →
- Sleep timer
- A timer that stops the sound after a set time. Nala's lowers the sound over one minute before it stops, so it never cuts to sudden silence.How Nala's sleep timer works →
- Sound machine
- A device that plays white noise or soothing sounds at bedtime. A phone app can do the same, and goes with you when you travel.Use your iPhone as a sound machine →
V
- Volume warning
- A message Nala shows when your iPhone's volume is high while a sound plays, with an offer to lower it. You can turn it off in Settings.Read: how loud should white noise be? →
W
- Wake window
- How long a baby can stay awake between sleeps before getting overtired. It's short for newborns and grows over the first year.More on newborn nights →
- White noise
- A steady sound with equal energy across all frequencies, like a fan or TV static. It covers the small noises of the house that can wake a light sleeper.White noise that keeps playing locked →
- Womb sound
- A muffled whooshing sound like the one a baby heard before birth: blood flow and the mother's heartbeat. Often used in the first weeks.Listen to the womb sound →
The Nala app
This glossary is written by the maker of Nala, a night light and white noise app for iPhone. The red, warm white and warm glow lights and white noise are free.
