Nala
Why adults use a night light
The reviews I get are not all from parents. Some of the ways adults use Nala:
- When the dark or the silence feels hard. A soft glow and a steady sound can make the room feel less empty. One reviewer on the French App Store wrote: "I use the app for myself because I'm scared of the dark and of silence."
- Getting up at night. Enough light to find the door or a glass of water without switching on the ceiling light.
- Sharing a room. A dim light on your side that doesn't light up the whole bedroom.
- Hotels and travel. An unfamiliar room, a noisy corridor, no night light.
- Covering noise. Traffic, a neighbour, a partner who snores: white noise, rain or a fan sound can mask it.
Which light to pick
Keep it dim, and pick red or a warm color rather than white. Bright white light at night is what most sleep research warns about, and red is the color the body clock is least sensitive to. Most of that research was done in adults; I sum it up, with its limits, in is red light better than white light at night? Nala's red light goes down to 5%.
Sounds to fall asleep to
White noise is free. With Nala+ you get 26 more: pink and brown noise, rain on a tent or on a car, a fan, the sea, a stream, a crackling fire, an airplane cabin. The differences between white, pink and brown noise, with audio examples, are in white, pink or brown noise?
How to set it up
- Pick a light and slide the brightness down until it's just enough. Tap the light to hide every button.
- Start a sound and keep the volume low.
- Set the sleep timer. The sound fades out over one minute and the light fades to black, so nothing stays on all night unless you want it to.
When to talk to someone
A night light can make the dark feel easier. It isn't a treatment. If fear of the dark, anxiety at night or trouble sleeping lasts for weeks or affects your days, talk to a doctor. Insomnia and night-time anxiety are common and treatable.
Questions
Can adults use Nala, or is it only for babies?
Anyone can use it. Nala started as a night light for parents, but the lights and sounds work the same for an adult who wants a dim light or a sound to fall asleep to. There is nothing to set up for a baby.
Is a night light bad for an adult's sleep?
A bright white light at night is the kind most studies flag. A dim red or warm light is a gentler choice: most of the research on light color at night was done in adults, and it is summed up in the guide on red and white light at night. Keep it as dim as you can and use the timer so it switches off.
Does the sound keep playing with the phone locked?
Yes. Lock the phone and put it on the nightstand: the sound keeps playing, and a sleep timer can fade it out over one minute.
Is it free?
The red, warm white and warm glow lights and white noise are free, with no ads and no account. Nala+ adds the other 26 sounds, including rain, fan, brown and pink noise, plus shapes and animations.
Get the night light, free