Newborn Care: How a Fan Helps Your Baby Sleep Better

You may have planned everything down to the colour of the paint for your little one’s room, but have you ever considered having a fan in a baby’s nursery? No? Well it could just turn out to be a life-saver.

Let’s admit it; a nursery can be filled with unnecessary items, such as unwanted toys and clothes. But it’s the more important things (such as a fan) that benefit your baby’s health which can be easily overlooked.

You may be reading this and thinking, why would having a fan in a baby’s nursery even be on my wish list, and how can it aid a child’s survival rate? Well, listed below are a few reasons why they are;

1. A fan produces white noise. This white noise is very comforting for a baby as it resembles the constant sound they heard while in your womb.

Newborn babies especially, sleep better when there is some sort of white noise to muffle out other noises and more importantly, keeps things from being too quiet.

The idea of your baby not being able to sleep in pin drop silence might sound a little crazy to you, but consider this; for the whole nine months – she was surrounded by constant sound in your womb.

2. Fans circulate the air. This helps baby to sleep more soundly as well as prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

While there are no specific numbers to support this yet, it is believed that using fan v in a baby’s room until she is at least one year old helps reduce the chances of crib death.

3. Having a fan in the room blocks out other noises. Face it, it is impossible for you to stop your neighbours and traffic noise. A fan helps minimize outside sounds and lets your baby sleep better.

It can be hard to gauge exactly how much having a fan in the room can reduce the chances of SIDS, especially since there are usually several other factors at play. Experts believe, however, that you can reduce the chances of SIDS by as much as 70% by running a fan in baby’s room while she is sleeping.

But of course, it is not just about placing a fan in the room to avoid harm. There are other precautions you should take when placing a fan in your child’s room to ensure she does not get hurt. Here are some safety tips you should practice;

Safety Points

• If you are placing a table fan in your baby’s room, place it well away from potential contact from your baby. Also, ensure there is nothing nearby she can climb onto to get to the table fan.
• Make sure all the wires from the fan and every other electronic device in your baby’s room is stored away and out of reach of your baby.
• Invest in a fan guard, which is made out of fine mesh and fitted over the fan head in order to prevent little fingers being able to enter the little holes and get to the fan blades. This will also help prevent your baby from poking other objects into the fan.
• If you happen to buy a second-hand fan, be sure to run it through a couple of tests like placing it in your bedroom for a week to make sure the grill is secure, the oscillator works and the electric works are done well.
• If it is not too much of a problem, consider installing a ceiling fan instead as it would definitely be out of your child’s reach. If you do install one, ensure at least 3 to 4 feet between the tip of the ceiling fan blades and the edge of your child’s bed or other furniture, so if she is tempted to jump on her bed or climb she won’t reach the fan.
• Do not ever turn a fan into a play thing. As a child, you may have made silly noises in front of a fan because it was fun, but never show your child how to do it as it is actually a safety hazard.
• Do not hang streamers, ropes or other items from the blades of a ceiling fan. This could pose the danger of strangulation for your child.
• Clean your fan at least once a month to avoid dust getting trapped inside the blades of the fan.