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Creating a Smart Bedtime Light Automation for Kids Using Home Assistant

·487 words·3 mins
Table of Contents

Creating a Smart Bedtime Light Automation for Kids Using Home Assistant #

I often find my children turning their lights on during the night when they wake up. I started off by having an automation which checked every hour if the light was on then switch it off then I had the bright idea 💡 that instead of constantly checking and turning off lights, I could create an automation that gradually dims and turns off their bedside lamps automatically after they have been turned on.

The Solution #

We’ll create a Home Assistant automation that:

  1. Detects when a bedside lamp is turned on during nighttime hours
  2. Automatically dims the light to 50% immediately
  3. Gradually dims the light over 10 minutes
  4. Finally turns the light off completely

Prerequisites #

  • Home Assistant installed and running
  • Smart bulbs or lamps that support dimming
  • The lights already configured in Home Assistant

The Automation Code #

Here’s the YAML code for the automation:

alias: Dim Light Overnight
description: "Automatic dimming of bedside lights during night time hours."
triggers:
  - entity_id:
      - light.childs_bedside_lamp
    from: "off"
    to: "on"
    trigger: state
conditions:
  - condition: time
    after: "00:00:00"
    before: "06:00:00"
actions:
  - data:
      brightness_pct: 50
    action: light.turn_on
    target:
      entity_id:
        - light.childs_bedside_lamp
  - repeat:
      count: 10
      sequence:
        - data:
            entity_id:
              - light.childs_bedside_lamp
            brightness_step_pct: -5
          action: light.turn_on
        - delay:
            minutes: 1
  - data: {}
    action: light.turn_off
    target:
      entity_id:
        - light.childs_bedside_lamp
mode: single

How It Works #

Let’s break down each section of the automation:

Trigger #

triggers:
  - entity_id:
      - light.childs_bedside_lamp
    from: "off"
    to: "on"
    trigger: state

This trigger activates when the specified light changes from off to on.

Conditions #

conditions:
  - condition: time
    after: "00:00:00"
    before: "06:00:00"

The automation only runs between midnight and 6 AM.

Actions #

The automation performs three main actions:

  1. Initial Dim:
  - data:
      brightness_pct: 50
    action: light.turn_on

Immediately dims the light to 50% brightness when turned on.

  1. Gradual Dimming:
  - repeat:
      count: 10
      sequence:
        - data:
            brightness_step_pct: -5
          action: light.turn_on
        - delay:
            minutes: 1

Reduces brightness by 5% every minute for 10 minutes.

  1. Final Turn Off:
  - data: {}
    action: light.turn_off

Completely turns off the light after the dimming sequence.

Installation #

  1. In Home Assistant, navigate to Configuration > Automations
  2. Click the + button to create a new automation
  3. Click the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Edit in YAML”
  4. Copy and paste the above code
  5. Replace light.childs_bedside_lamp with your light entity ID
  6. Save the automation

Customization Options #

You can modify this automation by:

  • Adjusting the time window in the conditions
  • Changing the initial brightness percentage
  • Modifying the dimming duration and steps
  • Adding multiple lights to the automation

Conclusion #

This automation provides a gentle way to help children return to sleep when they wake up at night. Instead of an abrupt light-off experience, the gradual dimming helps ease them back to sleep naturally.

Remember to test the automation during the day first by temporarily modifying the time condition to make sure it works as expected.