Will Taking A Zinc Supplement Increase Testosterone

Will Taking A Zinc Supplement Increase Testosterone

If you're looking to enhance your wellness routine, you might be thinking about adding zinc to your supplement lineup. After all, the vitamin is purportedly essential for immunity and wound healing, among other vital functions in the body. But before you stock up on zinc supplements, it's worth learning about the nutrient — and, in doing so, determine if you actually need the boost. Ahead, learn how zinc works in the body, plus when you should take a zinc supplement.

What Is Zinc, Exactly?

Zinc is a trace mineral, aka micromineral, which means the body needs super tiny amounts — 8 milligrams per day for women and 11 milligrams per day for men, to be exact, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Those who are pregnant or lactating require a bit more each day — 11 and 12 milligrams, respectively — due to zinc's role in promoting healthy development during pregnancy and childhood. Unfortunately, however, the mineral isn't produced or stored by the body, so the only way you can really get zinc is through diet and supplements, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Zinc Benefits

Although zinc is needed in small amounts, it's still an essential mineral — meaning, your body needs it to function properly. The nutrient is involved in more than 300 (!!) essential biological reactions in the body, says Rana Mafee, M.D., integrative and functional neurologist at Case Integrative Health. But how does that translate to your health? Ahead, check out some of zinc's health benefits and, in turn, learn the answer to the question everyone's wondering: "is zinc good for you?"

Strengthens Immune Function

As it turns out, vitamin C isn't the only immune-boosting nutrient in town — zinc is also helpful. "Zinc supports the immune system by regulating the function of several key components [in the body], such as macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and T-lymphocytes," explains Sandy Younan Brikho, M.D.A., R.D.N., registered dietitian and founder of The Dish on Nutrition. Neutrophils find, trap, and kill harmful germs, says Brikho, while T-lymphocytes destroy other cells that have become cancerous or attacked by viruses. In turn, these immune cells can properly fight pathogens and defend your body from sickness. (Related: 7 Ways to Naturally Strengthen Your Immune System)

Promotes Wound Healing

"Zinc is [also] important for wound healing," says Jinan Banna, Ph.D., R.D., registered dietitian and nutrition professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Specifically, zinc works by supporting the growth and proliferation (i.e. multiplication) of skin cells, according to an article published in the journal Nutrients. This helps repair damaged tissue and close wounds before infection-causing germs can enter the skin. And while these wound-healing benefits can be achieved by simply ingesting zinc (either as a food or a supplement), you can also reap these rewards by applying it topically (in this case, zinc is known as zinc oxide, according to the Mayo Clinic). For example, you can slather something such as Destin (Buy It, $5, target.com) on your little one's skin to help heal diaper rash. Or you can cover your face with Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Blemish Solutions Clarifying Mask (Buy It, $28, dermstore.com), which has zinc oxide to help relieve redness and irritation. (Note: Zinc oxide is also often the active sun-blocking ingredient in mineral sunscreens.)

Supports Brain Function

Another reason why zinc is good for you? It plays an important role in a range of brain functions, including learning, memory, mood, and behavior, according to Dr. Mafee. That's because zinc is involved in neurogenesis, or the creation of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain, according to a 2020 article. Neurons communicate with each other via chemical signals, helping the brain perform the aforementioned functions. In fact, zinc is so important for the brain that long-term zinc deficiency can contribute to a variety of neurological conditions, including "learning disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)," notes Dr. Mafee.

Breaks Down Carbohydrates

If you're still wondering, "what is zinc good for in the body?" you're in luck, because there's one more benefit of the nutrient that deserves your attention. Zinc, dear readers, also breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, according to the NCBI — and that's a pretty big deal. Why? Because glucose is the main source of energy for all your cells. What's more, according to a 2018 article, zinc regulates the release of insulin, aka the hormone that helps glucose in the bloodstream enter cells. This helps normalize your blood sugar levels (a key factor in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) while ensuring your cells get the fuel they need to operate efficiently.

The Best Sources of Zinc

Many foods naturally contain zinc, according to William Li, M.D., author of Eat to Beat Disease and president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation.

Meat (think: beef, poultry, seafood) is a particularly rich source of zinc. For context, a 3-ounce serving of beef offers 7 milligrams of zinc and that of crab offers 6.5 milligrams of zinc, while the same amount of chicken contains about 2 milligrams, according to the National Institutes of Health. Dairy products, on the other hand, contain a moderate amount of zinc (e.g. 1 cup of cow's milk contains 1 milligram, according to the NIH).

Some plant foods — including whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, along with some veggies, and fruits — also offer the mineral, but they're not nearly as rich in the nutrient as meat. Case in point: Half-cup servings of kidney beans and diced portabella mushrooms contain less than 1 milligram each. Moreover, the little zinc that is in whole grains and legumes is difficult to absorb. That's because both foods are high in phytates, aka natural chemicals that "impair absorption of minerals like zinc, iron, and calcium in the digestive system," explains Dr. Li. Phytates do this by binding to the mineral (in this case, zinc), reducing how much your body absorbs. (Related: The Best Foods to Eat Together for Nutrient Absorption)

But luckily, there's a way to work around this. Soaking whole grains and legumes in water overnight (about eight hours) can decrease their phytate levels, allowing for optimal zinc absorption in the body, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Another option is to pair whole grains and legumes with meat, says Dr. Li. The reason? Animal protein attaches to phytates, preventing the latter from binding to zinc and hindering optimal absorption, according to a 2020 scientific review.

Okay, But Should You Take Zinc Supplements?

It's not recommended to take zinc supplements before speaking to your doctor, says Brikho. For starters, taking zinc supplements might be totally unnecessary, meaning you'll end up spending money on something superfluous. And even if it is necessary, your ideal dose depends on your medical history, and your doc is the best person to determine that number. Plus, without a doctor-approved dosage, you can also run the risk of over-supplementing (more than 40 miligrams a day) and developing zinc toxicity, which can potentially cause "nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and a metallic taste" in your mouth, notes Brikho. The good news? Zinc overdose can be treated by simply stopping consumption of the supplement, according to NCBI.

And need not forget that zinc is found in a lot of foods (um, see above, folks!). So, "if you eat a varied diet, you're likely getting enough zinc," says Binan. This means taking a zinc supplement might not be all that necessary if you're noshing on foods from different food groups and pairing whole grains/legumes with animal protein. The same goes if you're already taking a multivitamin that has zinc — e.g. Vimerson Health Women's Multivitamin (Buy It, $20, amazon.com) — as "most multivitamins contain the recommended dietary [intake] of zinc," adds Brikho.

And in case you're wondering: There's no risk in getting zinc from a multivitamin and a generally healthy/varied diet. The combo, unlike zinc supplements, is unlikely to cause a zinc overdose because foods don't contain enough zinc to reach toxic levels (remember: 40+ milligrams a day), says Brikho. (Related: Does Emergen-C Even Work?)

But let's say you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. In this case, a zinc supplement may be in the cards. "Meat's an abundant source of zinc, so eliminating it from the diet removes an important source," thus increasing the risk of a zinc deficiency, according to Dr. Li. Likewise, you might benefit from a zinc supplement if you have a digestive disorder that interferes with zinc absorption, says Dr. Li. This includes disorders like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, according to NIH, while sickle cell disease, diabetes, liver disease, and chronic diarrhea can also increase the risk of a zinc deficiency, prompting the need for zinc supplements.

All that said, even if you're at risk for developing a zinc deficiency, "it's absolutely essential to know your own levels of zinc before deciding to supplement," says Dr. Mafee. You can figure this out by seeing your doc, who can run several tests (e.g. blood and urine tests, hair analysis, etc.) to determine your level of deficiency, explains Brikho. They'll also consider your risk factors (think: dietary restrictions, medical conditions), plus any symptoms of zinc deficiency (e.g. hair loss, poor appetite, slow wound healing, problems with taste and smell, according to NCBI) you might be experiencing. Once your doctor gives you the green light for zinc supplements, they'll provide a dosage that's right for you, which "could range from 22 to 40 milligrams for men and 16 to 40 milligrams for women," notes Brikho, who's a fan of Thorne Zinc Picolinate (Buy It, $33, amazon.com), as zinc picolinate is more easily absorbed in the body than other forms of zinc. (See more: The 10 Best Zinc Supplements to Support Your Immune System, According to Reviews)

The Bottom Line On Zinc's Benefits

As this point, you've likely realized that the answer to the question "is zinc good for you?" is a pretty resounding "yes." After all, zinc is an essential mineral, meaning your body needs it to stay healthy. But that doesn't necessarily mean you need supplements in your routine, especially if your diet includes a diverse lineup of foods, many of which (especially meat) are loaded with the nutrient. Of course, however, this isn't true for everyone, as being vegan or vegetarian or suffering from a GI condition that reduces zinc absorption can increase your risk of zinc deficiency, and, in turn, potentially justify zinc supplementation. In that case, see your doc, who can best determine whether or not you should supplement and the best way to do so.

Will Taking A Zinc Supplement Increase Testosterone

Source: https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/is-zinc-good-for-you

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Lovely Bedroom Furniture

Lovely Bedroom Furniture

For the past few months, I've been trying to make my master bedroom more of a haven. I live in a small apartment, and I work at home from a desk in my bedroom, so it can be hard to make it a peaceful environment when all the room screams is work, work, work.

I'm considering buying a new bedroom set to improve the space. It can be challenging to find an affordable set, though. Some bedroom sets from top luxury brands can cost as much as $10,000, and even some mid-range design stores like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel can charge several thousand dollars for a bed and a couple of pieces of matching furniture.

Because I don't have the budget to invest so heavily in a new set of bedroom furniture, I set out on a mission to find beautiful-but-cheap bedroom sets that have great ratings and will last a long time. I know I'll probably have to move next year due to my husband's job, so I also want a style that's timeless enough not to look out of place — no matter where we end up.

If you're also looking for an affordable bedroom set, here are some of my top tips:

Don't be brand specific.

Sure, that Ethan Allen set is completely stunning as is the ultra modern and sleek set from Z Gallerie. However, when you're searching for a bedroom set, try not to be brand specific.

Although I've liked one particular luxury tufted bed for many years now, I recently saw a similar one at Wal-Mart of all places. So, don't let the name of the store dissuade you from purchasing an item there. You never know what you're going to find and where, so it's best to be open minded about the brand you select.

You don't have to be matchy-matchy.

It's great to have every piece of furniture in your room match — that's the whole idea of a set, right? Most of the examples featured below do match, but I also want to encourage you to be a bit creative too.

Maybe buy a bed and a dresser that match but purchase unique nightstands that stand on their own. Or you can get dressers, side tables, and a mirror that match, but your bed can be a unique color or a statement piece.

Finally, don't be afraid to upgrade gradually from the inherited furniture you already have, or to take a more eclectic approach and incorporate a nice piece or two from a yard sale or secondhand store.

Buy floor samples.

Some people want brand-new furniture, while others don't mind buying a new set that lots of people have sat on if it means they're going to get a good deal on the price. Floor samples are often in excellent condition. They might have a few scratches or dents from being moved around the showroom, but more often than not they are free from stains and other large issues and offer a great discount.

Remember to measure.

You might love one of those huge canopy beds (I love them myself), but there's no reason to pay more for a large or ornate bedroom set if you have a small space. Large furniture can make a room feel very cramped and small, so even if you find your dream bedroom set, be sure to measure your room to make sure everything will fit and that your purchase is worth the price.

Our favorite affordable bedroom sets

Here are some of the best, well-priced bedroom sets I came across in my search. All get good reviews or come from reputable retailers. I've grouped them by the number of pieces of furniture included in the price.

Two-piece bedroom sets

Two-piece bedroom sets can cost several thousand dollars at some stores, and a beautiful bed just by itself can cost more than $1,000. The three sets below all come in at under $1,000 for both pieces of furniture.

The Aspen Collection Queen Bed & Nightstand Set

Cost: $536

This two-piece bedroom set is perfect for the homeowner who has a classic, traditional style. It would work best in a home that has a lot of wood tones with bedroom linens that are more casual versus high end. The $536 price tag makes it an affordable option for just about anyone, whether you're getting your first apartment after college, are a newlywed, or just want to spruce up your bedroom with a classic furniture style.

IKEA Storage Bedroom Set

Cost : $400

What I love the most about this IKEA bedroom set is that the Malm bed comes with built-in under-the-bed storage. This is great for a small space because you won't have to purchase an additional dresser. Pair this with a sleek and simple IKEA rolling coffee table as your nightstand and you've got a great two-piece bedroom set with a ton of storage for a very low price.

The Baxton Studio Modern Bedroom Set

Cost: $926

This beautiful gray, modern bedroom set is unique: Instead of coming with a nightstand or dresser it actually includes a bench for the foot of the bed. The bench offers a place to get dressed in the morning and put on your shoes, and looks simply beautiful with the bed. This set would look great with mirrored or wooden nightstands, and adds a big dose of elegance for under $1,000. (Also check out the beige linen version here.)

Three- and four-piece bedroom sets

All the bedroom sets below have either three or four pieces and come in at under $1,750.

IKEA Country House Bedroom Set

Cost: $787

This cute, four-piece cottage-style bedroom is based on IKEA's Tyssedal series. Perfect for a summer retreat or farmhouse feel, the simple white set comes with a bed frame, two nightstands, and a six-drawer dresser. Add a wardrobe for $349 and you have a five-piece bedroom that barely tops $1,000. And like anything else IKEA, you can swap in just about anything else in the store to put your own spin on this affordable bedroom set.

The Bermuda Bedroom Set

Cost: $538

If you love a beachy vibe in your home to remind you of the ocean, the waves, and the smell of the saltwater, then you'll love this bedroom set. It's an amazing price too. At $538, you get three pieces of furniture including a headboard, nightstand, and chest.

The Jilly Bean Bedroom Set

Cost: $1,749

This Jilly Bean bedroom set includes a queen bed frame, nightstand, dresser, and mirror. It has a really nice, modern look that would be great for couples who can't agree on a design. You can't go wrong with the beautiful sloped headboard and coordinating pieces.

The Phillipe Bedroom Set

Cost: $782

If you've always loved the appearance of sleigh beds then you'll love this four-piece bedroom set . It's French inspired and comes with a large mirror that's perfect for getting ready in the morning, along with a dresser and nightstand (the chest in the background is not included).

This set would work best in a bedroom that's more spacious, because the dark cherry wood, while luxurious, can make a small room feel even smaller. The price is great at around $782 — with free shipping, too.

Five-piece bedroom sets

All the bedroom sets below have either five pieces and come in at under $2,000.00.

IKEA Tropical Bedroom Set

Cost: $528

I always love looking through the IKEA catalog because they put together beautiful rooms at affordable prices. You can get the look found in this tropics-inspired bedroom using IKEA's Brusali series. A bed frame, two nightstands, and two four-drawer dressers add up to a very affordable $528.

That means you'll have enough money left over to buy some of the other details pictured, like the $49 lamps, to complete the scene and create your own tropical refuge.

The Regitina Bedroom Set

Cost: $1,820

I fell in love with this bedroom set as soon as I saw it. I love that it includes a huge mirror and the white color makes it feel light, bright, and airy despite the amount of furniture in the room. While it's one of the more expensive sets on this list, it's still well below what many other stores charge for five pieces of furniture.

The Napa White Bedroom Set

Cost: $1,949

Although I do like the more traditional bedroom sets featured on this list, I felt like

this one

was very unique. It's white — the color of the year for 2016, at least according to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams — but the small design details, especially the headboard, really make it stand out.

Le Charmel Bedroom Set

Cost: $1,296

For under $1,300, this bedroom set provides a lot of value. It includes the bed, dresser, two nightstands, and a mirror — so all you'll need to buy outside of this set are some bed linens and decorative pillows. It has a nice traditional style that would go well in many homes.

Lovely Bedroom Furniture

Source: https://www.thesimpledollar.com/save-money/cheap-bedroom-sets/

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Dim Light For Bedroom

Dim Light For Bedroom

The Best Night Lights

After more than 50 hours of testing and research, we determined that the Maxxima – LED Multi-Color Night Light is the best night-light on the market. In addition to a month of detailed testing, we continued to use the Maxxima night-light for an additional nine months in our homes.

That testing, in conjunction with our conversation with a neuroscientist about what kinds of night-light are best for sleep, reinforced that the Maxxima is best for most bedrooms. Read on to find out how we chose this winner, as well as the advantages to using red light instead of white or blue as a bedroom night-light for you or your children.

Our Top Choices

Top Pick

---

Maxxima

LED Multi-Color

Best for Children

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VAVA

Runner-up

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Maxxima

LED with Swivel Head

Table of Contents

• Compare the best night lights
• 1. Best overall: Maxxima – LED Multi-Color
• 2. Best for children: VAVA
• 3. Honorable mention: Maxxima – Swivel LED
• Other finalists we tested
• How we selected finalists to test
• How we tested
• Why trust us
• Long-term testing notes
• The bottom line

Compare the best night lights

Product Name	Demographic	Cost
Maxxima - LED Multi-Color	Mixed	$$
VAVA	Children	$$$
Maxxima - LED Night Light with Swivel Head	Children	$$
Gummygoods Night Light - Red	Children	$$$
IKEA - SPÖKA Night Light - Short	Children	$$$
Safety 1st - LED Nightlight	Mixed	$
Goline - Cute Kitty	Children	$$$
Lumipets	Children	$$$
Skip Hop - Toddler Sleep Trainer	Children	$$$$
KinderGlo - Portable Night Light (discontinued)	Children	$$$

1. Best overall: Maxxima – LED Multi-Color

While all six of the night-lights we tested serve a purpose, none of them are as multi-purpose as the Maxxima – LED Multi-Color Night Light. We liked this night-light above all the others because it is affordable, has great build quality, and offers greater versatility than any other product we tested.

In terms of affordability, the Maxxima is very affordable at $5.99 for one and $10.99 for a two-pack.  The LED bulb is rated to last for 100,000 hours, which translates to approximately 11-1/2 years of continuous use. The electrical cost for LED bulbs is negligible as well — with estimates around 25 cents per year with typical use.

The "multi" feature of the Maxxima – LED Multi-Color Night Light is easy to use: A small switch on the front of the light quickly and easily changes the light color to  red, white or blue.

We spoke at length with Tracy Bedrosian, a Ph.D in Neuroscience from Ohio State University. She went into detail about her research covering the negative impacts of using blue light at night.

Red lighting is the ideal setting for nighttime, particularly in the bedroom, since Dr. Bedrosian's research indicated that while "warm" yellow-white LEDs present less risk of disrupting your sleep rhythm, red lights have a far smaller effect.

That said, red lighting has its downside — namely, it doesn't help you see very well. While it's still a good choice for a dim bedroom light, it's not as helpful if you're trying not to step on LEGO bricks.

Our Top Pick: Maxxima - LED Multi-Color Night Light

Affordability, versatility and great build quality make this our top pick. The LED bulb is rated to last for 100,000 hours and includes a doctor-approved red light.

Fortunately, the Maxxima night light can produce brighter light with its white LED bulb. This setting is ideal for hallways, bathrooms and anywhere else where additional light is needed. Even better, we didn't find the white light to be particularly blue, so brief exposure shouldn't dramatically impact sleep patterns.

The Maxxima's auto on/off sensor was particularly effective as well. Its sensor seemed to be well-tuned and quickly turned on the night-light when ambient light dimmed.

We also appreciated that, unlike other night lights with an ambient light sensor, the Maxxima didn't flicker in between turning on and turning off; instead, the light turns on and off gradually.

The light from the Maxxima LED Multi-Colorstrikes an effective balance between providing enough light to be useful, but it's dim enough that it won't keep you awake.

With its long lifespan, affordable pricing and versatility, the Maxxima LED Multi-Color Night Light was easily the best pick of our finalists.

2. Best for children: VAVA

If you want a night light that's more tailored for a child's bedroom, the VAVA – VA-CL006 is our pick.

One major advantage to the VAVA is its portability. Like our former pick for this category, the now-discontinued Kinderglo, the VAVA includes a charging base that makes topping up the battery easy. It includes a high-quality micro-USB-to-USB charging cable. (Like all the other rechargeable lights we tested, you'll have to use a wall-plug AC-to-USB-5V adapter you already own.)

While it's not as immediately huggable as the soft silicone animals we tested, our 2- and 4-year-old testers pretended the VAVA was an egg, a Pokeball and a spaceship before they found out you can give it a face with the included stickers. Being made from hard polycarbonate plastic, it's heavier than silicone-bubble designs, but that also makes it more resistant to teething toddlers.

While it doesn't offer the multi-color light modes that can give you a pure red light for the lowest possible triggering of your hypothalamus-activating retina cells, VAVA does let you switch this light to a warm-white mode that minimizes blue light exposure.

If you'd like to minimize blue light with some of the same features as this light, VAVA also makes the CL009, which includes red-green-blue light modes. We picked the CL006 for its charging base and simple controls — not to mention the stickers.

Best for Young Kids: VAVA

A long battery life and kid-customizable design, as well as a reasonable price, make this a great choice.

The VAVA makes up for colored-light modes with far more control over the light it gives off. While the other kids' lights have a few brightness settings you can activate with their remotes, the VAVA responds quickly and consistently to a tap on its top to smoothly raise or lower the light level. The diffusion of the light is also more useful for filling the dark corners with a gentle glow.

3. Honorable mention: Maxxima – LED with Swivel Head

Although not as versatile as Maxxima's multi-color night-light, we were so impressed by this night-light that we had to give it an Honorable mention. The Maxxima – LED Night Light with Swivel Head is a cheap ($3.59) light that provides sufficient light for a bathroom, and to a lesser extent a hallway.

Just like the Maxxima LED Multi-Color, the Swivel night-light has an auto on/off switch which prevents the light from being on when it is not needed. We found the swivel to be particularly useful for the bathroom, because the light can be directed towards the sink or toilet, and not directly into your eyes.

Also Great: Maxxima - LED with Swivel Head

A good choice for the bathroom due to its swivel head and low cost.

While this is a great night-light, we chose the Maxxima LED Multi-Color over this one for two main reasons: The light is a little too bright and directed to be an effective night-light, and more importantly, there isn't a red light setting available.

That being said, for under $4, this is a great night-light for the bathroom, or a small hallway where stubbing your toe is a risk you'd like to avoid.

Other finalists we tested

The other three night-lights we tested in-house were great as well. However, they were each limited, or outdone, in one way or another by our top three picks. That being said, they are worth taking a look at, as each does fulfill a specific niche.

Safety 1st LED Nightlight

Rounding out our test of popular LED lights is a budget-friendly design from Safety 1st. There isn't really anything wrong with it: It's cheap ($7.99 for two when we tested), doesn't get hot, and provides a decent amount of light for hallways and bathrooms. However, there is no red LED option, and the light it generates is not focused in any way. This is the most basic night light we'd consider.

Goline – Cute Kitty

Other options for a nursery or kids' room are mostly some variation on the animal or character theme. The Goline – Cute Kitty with Remote is the new standard for animal-shaped night lights, though whether Goline was actually the first company to use this shape and set of features is hard to tell. Similar lights in this and other shapes are now popping up everywhere.

Instead of a single LED, this model uses red, green and blue, plus warm-white LEDs for a wide range of color settings — 16 tints in all, which can also be set to cycle in a slow fade between tints. Battery life on the Goline Kitty was about the same as the Lumipets Bear: Both will run for three nights if you remember to turn them off, but the charging base included with the Vava was sorely missed.

The version of this Goline light with a remote is easier to use than models that rely on "touch" sensitivity. The sensor in the base of the light isn't at all good at detecting gentle taps, and it's easier for kids to change the light by deliberately dropping it from waist height than by tapping on the top.

The silicone detaches easily from the base without any damage, which is both a blessing and a curse if your toddler is curious about pulling things apart.

Lumipets

If you want a slightly different look than the Cute Kitty you've seen in other kids' bedrooms, the Lumipets – 1911 is a line of night lights that gives you a choice between four soft silicone animal shapes: Bear, Owl, Unicorn and Dragon. Our test family thought the ambivalent half-smile of Bear was most charming, but they're all more expressive than the Goline cat.

The biggest difference between the Goline and Lumipets is the type of white LEDs inside: Goline has a "warm" yellow-white, while Lumipets has the "cool" blue-white LED color you should avoid. You can select a yellow or red color tint to avoid blue light, but it's nice to have the option of a warm white.

Skip Hop – Toddler Sleep Trainer

If you want a sleep-time night light, but you're also interested in trying out a "sleep trainer" that reminds your kids when it's time to wake up, the Skip Hop – Toddler Sleep Trainer has the key features of both devices.

As a night light, the Skip Hop gives a soft, warm glow, but it's an expensive option. Also, the light will turn off after 30 minutes, so it won't be on in the middle of the night if that's what you need. The Skip Hop sleep-trainer functions don't work at the same time as the night-light feature.

We were initially excited about the three soothing sound tracks offered: white noise, rain and a lullabye. But the quality is poor enough — quiet and tinny, like a cheap speaker-phone — that our tester went back to using an old smartphone to play a bedtime playlist instead. The sounds can play for a few minutes at the times you set for bed, morning and naptime wake-up, and it's at least more kid-friendly than the bell or beep sound from most alarm clocks.

For white noise at bedtime, a dedicated white noise machine or a room fan will be far more effective.

Gummygoods

The Gummygoods Night Light works similarly to the Kinderglo. However, the fact that it uses AA batteries turned out to be a major, and negative, distinguishing factor. While the Kinderglo can be recharged on its base every day, the Gummygoods night-light needs to either be set to automatically turn off, or you need to be prepared to buy a lot of AA batteries (or spend extra money on rechargeable AA batteries).

On the plus side, the bear is undeniably cute, and the red light can be turned on and off just by squeezing it — something that young children would likely find fun and comforting.

Kinderglo – Portable (discontinued)

Now discontinued, when we did our initial review the Kinderglo – Portable Night-Light was widely regarded by everyone from parenting blogs to Amazon reviewers as among the best night lights for children. It was our pick while it was available.

The build quality of this product was fantastic, with soft touch materials. We tested the Moon model, but it also came in a variety of animal shapes.

As with our new kids' pick, the Vava, the Kinderglo recharging base worked well. A full charge kept the light on through the night without any problems, and the light could be set to turn off automatically after 30 minutes.

IKEA – SPÖKA (discontinued)

Now discontinued, the SPÖKA from IKEA had an undeniable "cuteness" to it, and the red light was just bright enough to help you see when walking around. It used a rechargeable AAA battery (which is included, along with a charger). The light only lasts for about five hours on a full charge, though, not enough for a full night.

How we selected finalists to test

In our efforts to determine which night lights are best, we spent more than 35 hours reading studies, news articles, blog posts, forums and Reddit threads to learn what the consensus was among experts and users alike.

Once our research helped us determine who we needed to speak with, we contacted several experts and researchers and got in touch with Dr. Bedrosian to ask about her work studying the effects of light at night.

We verifed the information we discussed with Dr. Bedrosian through our own research, and we feel confident that our conclusions are valid for determining which night lights are best for your home.

LED advantages

To find the best night lights available, we narrowed down the potential candidates to only those that used LED bulbs. LED bulbs are widely regarded as better than the other types of bulbs available for night-lights for a few reasons:

Efficiency: LED bulbs produce significantly less heat than incandescent bulbs for the same light output. In addition to making LED bulbs safer, this also means that they are more energy-efficient, since more energy is being used to generate light instead of wasted heat.

Longevity: LED bulbs also last much longer than incandescent bulbs formerly used in night lights. Some manufacturers such as AmerTac, claim that their bulbs will last "forever," which is only barely an exaggeration.

LED drawbacks

Despite these pluses, LEDs aren't perfect. The most efficient LEDs make a near-ultraviolet blue light, which is turned blue-white or yellow-white by shining it through a substance called a "phosphor." White LED light is often closer to the color of midday sunlight than the yellow tint your brain expects around bedtime.

For night lights that will be used in the bedroom, it is strongly preferable that the lights are red and have as close to zero blue light as possible.

Night lights that are used in hallways or bathrooms are not as much of a concern as bedroom lights. While red light is ideal, sometimes red light simply does not create enough visible contrast to help you avoid stubbing your toe. For situations like that, yellow-tinted "warm white" light is an acceptable — but by no means ideal — alternative.

It was also important that the night lights we selected to test produced sufficient light to be useful, while not creating so much light that they would impair sleep. We used the Pyle PLMT Light Meter to measure how much light each night light produced, as well as how much that light decreased at specific distance intervals.

We discussed the use of this light sensor with Dr. Bedrosian, who said that for our purposes it would be a reliable measure of light emitted by the night lights we tested.

Finally, night-lights that stay plugged into the wall should have an automatic "on/off" sensor, which turns the night lights on when it is dark and off when it is light. In addition to saving unnecessary energy use, this also ensures that the night lights will be automatically lit only when you need them.

With these criteria in mind, we found the night lights that were most highly regarded among consumers and experts, then found the best products among those that also matched the specifications described directly above.

While we ultimately chose what we believe to be the overall "best" product, each of the six night lights are useful and worth purchasing in the right context.

Does the night light you use really matter?

Dr. Bedrosian was one of the two lead researchers on a 2013 study with the Department of Neuroscience at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, and she gave us some key insights into the risk that too much light — and particularly blue-spectrum light — can have for both children and adults.

Dr Bedrosian's study found that blue-spectrum light overnight — even just the blue contained in white LED or fluorescent light — can trigger a change in brain structure and behavior in adult hamsters. The team theorized that this change may lead to severe health issues, including hormone imbalances, disrupted circadian rhythm, suppressed melatonin secretion and even a potential increase in cancer risk.

The bottom line: If you're going to have a night light in your room, it should be limited to red-spectrum light. If you have children, this is even more imperative. If you're reading in bed with a lamp or a book light, sticking to a yellow or red tint should help. If you read on a smartphone, tablet or computer screen before bed, most devices now include a mode that will change the color profile of the screen to reduce blue-light exposure.

How we tested

We used a combination of qualitative testing along with some more quantitative comparisons to rank night lights from best to worst.

When we looked at the overall build quality of each product, we found that, despite the relative affordability of each of the night lights, the Maxxima night lights stood out.

We also measured the amount of light emitted (measured in lux) by each night light at a distance of six inches, two feet, three feet and six feet — a reasonable amount of distance between a bed and a wall socket.

Ideally, a night light will be diffused so that you can see the edges of furniture or obstacles on the floor, but the light won't flood your eyes when you're in bed. We visualized the results below:

Measured in lux (a standard unit of brightness), all of our finalists drop off the scale long before they reach six feet. The Maxxima Swivel is the most focused light, while the rest are diffused to a minimal level beyond two feet.

While it's not as useful for gentle illumination in a bedroom, the directional flood light from the Maxxima Swivel can be aimed where it's needed — down long hallways or into bathroom corners.

In addition, all of the finalists we tested will have a minimal impact on sleep, since the lux they generate drops off well before six feet.

Long-term testing notes

In 2020, after most of the child-friendly lights we tested were discontinued, we re-tested with four new options: the Vava, Goline, Lumipets and Skip Hop.

We initially published this post in March of 2016, and since then we have continued to use both the Maxxima night lights. They continue to work as well as they did the day we first tested them. They have caused no hassles of any kind and have required zero maintenance — they simply light the hallway and bathroom.

One of the nice things about switching to an LED night light is that the bulbs should last at least a decade or two. Unlike incandescent bulbs of the past, which might have already needed replacing since our initial tests, our LED night-light bulbs have only utilized a small fraction of their overall lifespan.

The bottom line

Not everyone wants, or needs, a night light — and research shows that overnight darkness is best for your sleep cycle. However, if you do plan to have a night-light in your or your child's room (and a flashlight just won't cut it), you are better off if you have red light instead of white or blue light.

Blue light at night – even the blue present in white LED light — seems to influence everything from your sleep cycle to your mood to a possible impact on other bodily systems. You can minimize that effect by using red light, or using a dimmable night light to make overnight exposure as low as possible.

The Maxxima LED Multi-Color Night-Light provides a safe, warm light that is ideal for a night light in your room or the room of your child (on the red setting), as a soft white light for hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

If you want a dimmable warm-white night light more tailored to your young child, the Vava – VA-CL006 is easy to use, comes with cute customization stickers and lasts for five nights between charges.

Our Top Pick: Maxxima - LED Multi-Color Night-Light

Great build quality, versatility and affordability make the Maxxima LED our top selection.

Bryan Vu, Editor

Bryan is our cooking and kitchen expert, with more than 15 years of experience of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the best, whether it's ingredients or equipment, and finding products that can stand the rigors of daily use.

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