Nightlight

People usually use nightlights for the sense of security which having a light on provides, or to relieve fear of the dark, especially in young children. Nightlights are also useful to the general public by revealing the general layout of a room without requiring a major light to be switched on, for avoiding tripping over stairs, obstacles, or pets, or to mark an emergency exit. Exit signs often use tritium in the form of a traser. Homeowners usually place nightlights in bathrooms, kitchens and hallways to avoid turning on the main light fixture, especially late at night, and causing their eyes to adjust to the brighter light.^[1]

Some frequent travelers carry small nightlights for temporary installation in their guestroom and bathroom, to avoid tripping or falls in an unfamiliar nighttime environment. Gerontologists have recommended use of nightlights to prevent falls, which can be life-threatening to the elderly.^[2]

The low cost of nightlights has enabled a proliferation of different decorative designs, some featuring superheros and fantastical designs, while others feature the basic simplicity of a small luminous disc.

The 1990 song Birdhouse in your soul, by They Might Be Giants is a song sung from the perspective of a nightlight.^[3]