Did you know that the level of humidity in your home can seriously affect your baby's health?
It is not easy for new parents to take into account all the dangers around their children. Worse, the humidity in the room is practically never considered by parents, at least until the baby falls ill.
You probably already know that sleep plays an extremely important role in a newborn's growth. However, humidity can considerably affect the quality of children's sleep. Your baby needs a peaceful sleep because the human body (especially at birth) recuperates during sleep. This article will help you learn everything you need to know about humidity in your baby's room.
Let's get started without further delay!
How can you protect your baby from humidity-related complications?
By periodically checking the level of humidity in your home and especially your baby's room, you will be able to considerably limit the risk of complications for your child. The ideal humidity level in the baby's room is between 30% and 50%.
You can consider the room to be a health risk for your baby when its humidity level exceeds the 60% mark. Let's find out now how to keep the humidity in your baby's room at reasonable levels.
How to regulate the humidity level in a baby room?
Since it is impossible to check the different humidity levels of rooms without tools, it is advisable to invest in a hygrometer . This device will allow you to quickly know the humidity level of the room in which it is installed. Thus, depending on the number displayed, you can take the necessary measures to regulate the humidity level and guarantee a good night's sleep for your baby.
If the room is too humid, with a rate above 60%, we invite you to use a dehumidifier, if you have not already installed an air conditioner in the room. These two devices will allow you to dehumidify the room. In this way, the air in the room will become drier and it will limit the spread of mold, which tends to multiply more easily in closed and humid places. It also limits the chances of your child developing allergies.
Otherwise, if the air is too dry, you can use a humidifier to increase the humidity level in the room. This will allow your child to breathe more easily and avoid having a dry throat due to lack of humidity.
Does dry air pose a health hazard to the baby?
As mentioned above, high humidity can cause allergies in your baby. It turns out that lack of humidity can also cause health problems. Moreover, contrary to what one might think, the lack of humidity generally occurs in winter, due to the extreme cold.
Indeed, during the coldest periods, the humidity in the air automatically decreases. Also, heaters can make the situation worse, as they reduce humidity further. In this case, it is highly recommended to use a humidifier.
Dry air can cause a variety of health issues, such as dry skin, a variety of irritations, and sore throats. Although these risks are not as serious as the development of certain allergies, they can still prevent your baby from sleeping comfortably and thus disturb his growth. The humidifier therefore remains essential to avoid all these problems.
Why is it recommended to have a humidifier in your baby's room?
A humidifier is an essential tool for keeping the humidity at a reasonable level in the baby's room. That said, it doesn't have to stay there all the time. The most important thing is to activate the device enough time to regulate the humidity level . Also note that the time and frequency of use can vary greatly, depending on the climate you live in. However, in general, it is necessary to use the humidifier several times a day, during the coldest weeks of winter.
It goes without saying that your child's sleep may be disturbed if the air in his room is too dry. After all, if your baby spends the night crying, that means he didn't spend it sleeping. Moreover, babies who cry at night for no obvious reason most often have a problem with the humidity level of the room in which they sleep. Dry air is a source of discomfort for all babies and it can prevent them from getting good sleep.
The best tips for using a humidifier
When choosing a humidifier for your baby's room, you should definitely pay attention to a few important points. Here, we present you the best tips that will allow you to make the best choice for your baby:
What type of humidifier to choose?
While it is certainly possible to find humidifiers that are quality and inexpensive, ultrasonic humidifiers are still superior. This type of humidifier is rather easy to use and is also customizable. Thus, you will have no trouble setting the level of humidity you want to maintain in your baby's room. Ultrasonic humidifiers are also quiet, which is a big plus, as they won't disturb baby's sleep.
The safety of humidifiers
Are humidifiers safe? This is an important question to ask yourself, when you plan to let your child sleep not far from the device. Fortunately, the answer to this question is yes! That said, even though they are quite secure, it is important to take a few steps to ensure their effectiveness and avoid accidents. It is therefore best to keep them out of the reach of children .
Cleaning the humidifier
Your humidifier allows you to create the best environment for your baby. However, this device must be cleaned periodically to prevent it from emitting toxins that could potentially be harmful to your child's health. To do this, you must first disassemble the humidifier. Then, use a piece of cloth soaked in vinegar diluted in a little water to clean the different parts of the device. Also, after each use, do not forget to change the water.
Use warm water in the humidifier
While hot water may be more effective, there's no denying that it poses a danger to your baby. Indeed, the latter could overturn the device and burn himself with it. In order to avoid unnecessary risks, it is therefore preferable to use lukewarm water.
Place the humidifier in a safe place
Always with the aim of safe use of your humidifier, make sure that your baby does not even manage to touch the device. In general, it is recommended that your baby stay 10 meters away from the humidifier. In addition to preventing your child from dropping the device, this measure ensures that your baby will not be at risk of breathing in the toxins that your humidifier can potentially release.
To ensure that the humidity level is stable in all four corners of the room, position the device so that it blows towards its center. In other words, make sure that the breath is not directed directly at the wall and that there are no obstacles between the humidifier and the center of the room.
Also in the same vein, try to place the device in a high place, in order to allow its breath to touch the most space. This will also have the effect of preventing toxins from building up on the floor.
What is the ideal temperature for the baby's room?
You probably already know this, but the humidity level is not the only factor that can affect the quality of your baby's sleep. Indeed, the temperature of the room is at least equally important. A bedroom that is way too hot or way too cold can almost keep your child awake. Moreover, babies are even more sensitive to heat and cold than adults.
As a protective parent, you've probably felt the urge to cover your baby with all kinds of clothing, lest he end up catching cold. However, the ideal temperature for a newborn is 18°C. Also note that overheated babies are those most at risk of infant death.
Lint and moisture
When poorly cared for, soft toys can accelerate the development of allergies in your child, especially because they easily absorb moisture. However, as we will see here, it is very easy to prevent this from happening.
Always choose allergen-free soft toys for your baby
You can significantly limit your baby's chances of developing allergies simply by keeping your baby away from allergenic materials. With regard to toys, and more specifically stuffed animals, it is important to note that the materials used in products sold legally in Europe never contain allergens. So, in order to limit the risk of your child developing allergies, consider buying stuffed animals that have CE marking.
Soft toys must be clean
Even stuffed animals without allergens are likely to accumulate dust and get dirty quickly. In this case, the materials used in the manufacture of these soft toys may no longer be sufficient to protect your baby from allergies. For this reason, you must ensure that your child does not come into contact with his favorite stuffed animals, as long as these have not yet been cleaned.
The cleaning process for lint is almost identical to cleaning clothes. It is therefore possible to machine wash them or dry clean them. In either case, the key is to make sure the stains are gone and the lint has been rinsed off. You probably don't want your child to swallow the chemicals in detergents.
Remove moisture absorbed by lint
When your baby's soft toy absorbs water, it turns into a source of moisture that can be dangerous to your child's health. Indeed, babies often sleep with their stuffed animals and this exposes them closely to the humidity and toxins that are there. Fortunately, you can easily dehumidify your stuffed animals by periodically exposing them to the sun. Moreover, it is preferable to do it in the open air, since the wind accelerates the process and you will be able to quickly put the stuffed animals back in their place, between the arms of your child.
Also, keep in mind that stuffed animals can get wet when exposed to steam. You should therefore never place them in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Also, when your child does not need his stuffed animals, remember to store them in well-insulated cupboards. We advise you to place them in plastic bags, before that. That way, they won't absorb moisture and you won't even need to clean them as often. Also note that like clothes, stuffed animals tend to accumulate moisture in the spring.
If your stuffed animals are just beginning to smell damp, try dehumidifying them first by covering them with coarse salt, then placing them in plastic bags, before shaking them for a while. As they absorb moisture, the grains of salt darken. All you have to do is repeat the process until they stop changing color.
The happiest children are often the ones who sleep the best. So that your baby can sleep in the best conditions, consider acquiring a humidifier and use it during the coldest weeks of the year.
Also remember not to give in to your parental instincts to cover your baby in heavy clothes. This can prevent him from sleeping comfortably and exposes him to countless risks and dangers that you can do without.
To ensure that your child sleeps in an ideal environment, do not hesitate to use a hygrometer. If the humidity level in your baby's room is high, use a dehumidifier instead.