The results found that running a fan in a sleeping infant's room lowered the risk for SIDS by 72 percent. That risk was lowered even further when the infant's sleeping conditions put him or her at higher risk for SIDS, such as sleeping in a warm room or sleeping on the stomach.
So, is it safe for your baby to sleep with a fan on? Absolutely. Keep reading to learn about the importance of air circulation, and why having a baby sleep with a fan on is an effective way to help prevent SIDS.
Absolutely. Children are not in any danger under a ceiling fan. With the right room temperature and the breeze provided by its blades, children can enjoy the freshness and avoid the heat of summer nights, but without changing their body temperature.
As long as your fan is clean, sleeping with it on generally does not cause serious health problems. But fans circulate air that may dry your nose and throat and trigger other uncomfortable symptoms.
Babies will wake and cry if they're a bit chilly, and you can solve the problem then. But they won't likely do the same if they're too hot. And while I don't like to spark fear, especially when the summertime heat is beyond our control, overheating is a risk factor for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
What Room Temperature Is Too Hot for a Baby? A baby room temperature above 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius, may be too warm. An older study from California found that using a fan when temperatures rose above 70 degrees was associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
According to Sleep Advisor, sleeping with a fan on might not always be a great idea for health-related reasons, as although having a fan on will circulate air to make your room cooler and fresher, it can also circulate pollen and dust.
Don't leave your fan running overnight or while you are out of the house. Once you've had your electric fan for a few years, think about replacing it as older motors can overheat. Don't balance the fan on the edge of the counter, or anywhere that it could fall off.
Ceiling fans can be the best option to sleep with to relax your body and brain instead of an AC or cooler. However, an AC or cooler can be tempting but isn't the best option for your health. But sleeping with a fan on is always a better option as it provides us with natural sleep and several benefits.
You might also like to use a fan to cool the room, but don't aim it directly on the baby. When the weather is hot it is important to make sure that your baby has plenty of fluids.
White noise machines can increase the risk of noise-related hearing loss as they work on the principle of accumulated noise. When they're played at a high volume, for a long period of time, the baby is exposed to noise which their developing ears are not designed for.
Fans Produce Calming Noise
If you put the fan on relatively low speed, it will reduce the noise output. This also lowers the possibility of waking up your little one and stops keeping you up all night. Fans also produce white noise that helps most little ones sleep better.
Marnie Baker, M.D., pediatrician at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California tells Romper that newborns don't yet have a well developed sense of vision, so they are mostly attracted to things with light, movement, and contrast, including ceiling fans.
Overheating may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies one month to one year of age. Many experts recommend that the temperature in the room where a baby's sleeps be kept between 68–72°F (20–22.2°C).
SIDS is the leading cause of postneonatal (1 month to 1 year of age) death of babies in the United States. Ninety percent of SIDS deaths occur within the first 6 months of life, with the rate peaking between 1 to 4 months. Death comes suddenly and unpredictably, usually during sleep.
It can cause a stiff neck or sore muscles
If you suffer from any pre-existing muscle pain you should hold back from directing the electric fan on this area throughout the night. “This is because the concentrated cool air can make your muscles tense and cramp up, causing you even more pain,” Seeley says.
The typical 120w pedestal fan using costs around 3.4p an hour to run on average, according to Uswitch. That doesn't sound too bad if you just use if for an hour or two at a time. But leave it on all night and the costs soon start to rack up.
Pointing directly at them can apparently make them too cold and then they can't regulate their temperature very well.
“Sleeping with a fan on is unlikely to make you sick,” Han says. “However, it can indirectly cause increased respiratory and allergy symptoms in people who are sensitive to dry air or allergens.” For people with asthma, sleeping with a fan can lead to increased coughing or wheezing.
Less frequent starts and stops of the fan can reduce the stress from startup, and potentially help extend its lifespan. Leaving the fan on 24/7 ensures cleaner air, as the air is pulled through the filtration or UV light system. This can be better for people with allergies.
We advise only using a heater to take the chill off your baby's room, as babies should not sleep in hot rooms. The recommended room temperature for a baby is 16 to 20 degrees, with around 18 degrees being ideal.
You don't want your baby's room to be either too hot or too cold. It's recommended that the best temperature for babies is between 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
Open windows to try and get a breeze going. A fan directed against a wall will cool the room without blowing directly onto the baby. You could also hang a damp towel or sheet in front of the fan, not over it. This will keep the room even cooler.