The convenience of having bedside lamps cannot be overlooked.
These small-sized electrical lamps illuminate the comprehensive layout of your bedroom at night without causing eye strain associated with standard lights.
Ultimately, this brings a sense of warmth or comfort, creates a feeling of safety, and lessens fears of the dark, especially in children.
However, stories about house fires often mention electrical wiring and appliances as the root cause of such fires.
(In This Regard) Is It Safe To Leave A Bedside Lamp On All Night?
Generally, it is safe to leave a lamp on all night. Bedside lamps, particularly the modern lamps with LED bulbs, use low power, which translates to an extremely low risk of overheating or fire. All in all, using old-style bulbs or faulty appliances can pose some risks.
In a nutshell, the risk of leaving a light on all night depends on the lamp and bulb used, among other factors. If you are using a modern lamp, leaving it on all night shouldn’t be a fire hazard under normal conditions unless it has a halogen bulb.
In this post, you will learn more about bedside lamps plus some of the major merits and demerits of leaving them on all night.
How Long Can A Bedside Lamp Stay On Safely?
Bad electrical wiring and faulty electrical appliances are among the leading causes of house fires.
Although fires from lights are not common, it doesn’t mean they do not exist – bulbs can overheat and cause fires when left on for long.
To answer how lamps can stay on safely, it is imperative to understand the different types of bulbs.
Generally, there are five types of light bulbs:
- compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)
- and Light Emitting Diodes (LED).
All types operate differently, but the LED options have noticeable unique characteristics.
If your bedside lamp comes with the standard fluorescent or halogen incandescent light bulbs, it is worth noting that these bulbs use approximately 90% of their energy as heat.
Definitely, this means that they run hotter and create plenty of heat not necessary for light.
Because they can reach very high temperatures even under normal conditions, halogen bulbs are considered a bigger safety risk.
For this reason, you should not leave standard halogen and fluorescent lamps on all night – they can cause fire when they come into contact with flammable materials.
On the other further end of the lighting world, there are also the LED lamps.
Although they produce heat during their light production process, their heat output is less noticeable. Actually, they feel cooler to touch even after staying on for longer.
Because most modern lamps come with LEDs, it means you can leave your lamps on almost constantly without them heating up to the point of causing a fire hazard.
All in all, it is worth noting that some LED lamps have transformers, which can get pretty hot after long hours of operation.
In this regard, it is a good idea to switch off your LED bedside lamps when you’re not using them.
Four Benefits Of Leaving A Lamp On All Night
It is common knowledge that bedside lamps present almost zero risk when off. But again, leaving them on all night doesn’t necessarily pose any serious threat.
Here are reasons why it might be worth leaving a lamp on all night.
1. Better Visibility
This sounds obvious. Leaving your lamp on all night illuminates the space, enabling you to see objects, so you don’t trip over them.
Ultimately, this keeps possible late-night injuries at bay. Interestingly, they provide the much-needed light without straining your eyes.
2. Bedside Lamps Can Relieve Nyctophobia
Are you always afraid when you sleep in a dark room?
Leaving a light on could be the ultimate solution.
They emit a soothing and delicate glow, disclosing the room’s comprehensive layout, which relieves nyctophobia.
They inculcate a sense of familiarity and increase the perceived safety of a room, making it easy for people with a fear of the dark to fall asleep.
3. Enhanced Security
Leaving your bedside lamp on all night can help deter crime. Because your rooms are lit, would-be thieves and robbers will fear breaking into your home.
Although letting your lamps run all night can increase your electric bills, the difference is minor.
Relative to overhead lights, bedside lamps with LED bulbs use low power, providing a cost-effective solution for those with fear of the dark.
Overall, leaving a bedside lamp on all night is a conventional way of ensuring a more relaxed sleep.
What is more, they are designed to enhance aesthetics and remain safe, even when left on for long hours.
Four Possible Side Effects Of Sleeping With A Bedside Lamp On
Sleeping with any lights on is considered detrimental to getting a good night’s sleep.
That said, here are the undesired effects of leaving your bedside lamp on all night.
1. Lights Can Be Distracting
If you are a light sleeper, letting your nightlight run all night can take a toll on your sleep.
Although most lamps emit low brightness that does not cause the eyes to strain, they can still distract and prevent you from falling asleep faster.
2. Light Can Mess With Melatonin Production
Deterring the production of melatonin – a sleep-inducing hormone – is probably the major issue associated with bedside lamps.
The light can make it difficult for you to fall asleep, leading to poor sleep quality, a leading cause of depression and obesity, among other chronic health conditions.
3. Power Draining
Despite being cost-effective in terms of power, a bedside lamp still uses energy.
That said, if you have several bedrooms, leaving all nightlights on can surge your power bill.
4. Fire Risks
Bedside lamps are generally considered safe.
However, they can pose a fire risk when left throughout the night. Nightlights, including the LED options, can become excessively hot, posing a fire risk should they come in contact with potentially flammable materials and objects like bedding and curtains.
Although modern bedside lamps are considered safe, it doesn’t mean they can’t cause fires when left on for long hours.
Again, considering that light can affect your sleep-wake cycles, it makes perfect sense not to leave your bedside light on all night.
Seven Bedside Lamps Safety Tips
Perfect for bringing light to dark corners while conveniently illuminating your space, bedside lamps provide the much-needed light for easier navigation. However, not all products are made the same.
To enhance safety and ensure your night light lasts longer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and consider the following precautions:
- Buy from a reputable retailer and register it with the manufacturer to make it easy to return faulty products or order repair.
- Use the correct bulb type or those recommended by the manufacturer.
- Do not change a bulb when your lamp is on.
- Always place your lamp on a flat, stable surface.
- Always ensure that the supply cable is tidy and not likely to cause trip hazards.
- Regularly check on the plug and socket for burn makers, and NEVER use your bedside lamp when wires or plug fixtures are damaged.
- If you’re considering putting in place a bedside lamp that will be running throughout the night, these tips can significantly enhance safety and possibly eliminate potential risks.
Generally, it is considered safe to leave a bedside lamp on all night.
For enhanced safety, it is advisable that you consider low-wattage bulbs that are less likely to overheat and keep your lamp far from potentially flammable objects.