Sleeping toddler – Pixabay
As a parent of a baby, it can seem like babies never sleep. It can be especially hard for new parents, but you will soon develop a routine as you get used to it. First, however, you should also make sure your baby’s sleeping space is as safe as possible. Of course, the room itself plays a significant role in this, but you can help by installing new tech, securing the area, and good crib habits.
Don’t Place Toys in the Crib
When you get your bundle of joy, you just want to shower them with gifts, and family does too. This is a fantastic thing that shows how much your baby is loved, Yet toys can be dangerous to babies when they are sleeping. You might be tempted to place your child’s favorite toys in the crib with them, but they could be a choking hazard. Others, such as stuffed animals, might prevent your baby from getting air if they roll over onto them face-side down. The best way to ensure safe sleep for your baby is to remove everything from their crib, except blankets.
For decorating safely, see this article: Modern Nursery Ideas For An Adorable And Safe Space.
Secure Loose Blankets
Toys can be hazardous to a baby. But so too can their blankets. However, coverings are required for warmth and to provide a comfortable sleeping environment. Therefore, it isn’t feasible to just remove them altogether. But you can make the crib safer by securing any loose blankets. Tuck blankets under the crib padding as much as you can to evenly spread across the crib. Pretty much in the same way as your bedsheets. It’s also best to check the ends so there is nothing the baby can grab or pull on to make them come loose.
Make Your Baby’s Sleeping Space Safe with Tech
A recent survey found that 75% of new parents today rely on modern technology to assist with parenting. This includes smart tech designed for monitoring babies in their bedroom. But don’t worry if you aren’t tech-savvy or short on funds. Fortunately, modern smart tech is easy to install and doesn’t cost the earth. You control smart tech with your smartphone and can stay connected. For example, you can easily install small cameras for monitoring, smart lights with changing colors to soothe, and even night-light sound machines for comfort.
Install Standard Baby Monitors
If you aren’t the smart tech type, using tried and tested classic baby monitors is a great way to keep your baby safe. Baby monitors are basically one-way radios that allow you to listen to sounds coming from your child’s room. So you will know when your baby wakes up or is in distress. However, you can receive more variations. For example, video baby monitors are available, or you can get two-way radios to talk to your baby through the speakers. The most reliable models include the Nanit Plus Smart Baby and Tommee Tippee Dreamer.
Keep the Crib Away from Direct Sunlight
Babies cannot regulate their body temperature, so you must provide a stable environment. For example, a baby’s room shouldn’t be too warm or cold. Sunlight coming in through the window will help warm a room, but it might become too hot if your baby is placed in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. Additionally, your baby’s skin might be sensitive and could get a rash or heat lumps. The sun might also be too intense for your little one’s eyes and cause some distress. Further, if the crib is by a window, cords from blinds are a choking hazard.
Control the Sleeping Environment
Further to the sun making a room too hot, you must consider the temperature of your child’s room where they sleep. For the most part, babies are just like adults when it comes to perfect sleeping requirements. However, your baby depends on you to provide it:
- Keep the temperature between 68oF and 72oF.
- Use baby-safe blankets.
- Let fresh air in, but don’t leave windows wide open.
- Consider air purifiers if your baby has allergies.
- Soothe the baby with night lights and sound machines.
- Make your house a smoke-free environment.
- Control the amount of light with dimmers and blinds.
Sleep is vital to your baby. Disrupted sleep can have a negative impact on their development, causes stress, and encourages bad habits. Additionally, your sleep will be impacted if you constantly have to get up and see your baby.
Decorate the Room with NVOCs
Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that give off fumes at room temperature. Paint is a perfect example. That’s why you should always air your home when you are painting and why the smell is so strong. Also, paint can cause inflammation in adults and is hazardous to children. But paint is necessary to cover chips and flakes of older decorating. Fortunately, you can get non-volatile organic compound paints that are much less toxic and, therefore, child safe. Consequently, they are a better choice when decorating your baby’s room.
Baby-Proof the Area
Any room can be hazardous to a baby. And although it might not seem like it, your child’s bedroom can be too. Therefore you need to babyproof the area. It’s helpful to install fittings to doors and windows. This way, they can’t open any of them should they become adventurous. You should also cover heat sources like radiators and pipes and place cribs and play areas away from these. Additionally, lock away the chemicals you need for your baby. For example, install a lockable cabinet containing creams, powders, and solvents to clean little tushies.
Secure Baby’s Sleeping Space with Approved Furnishings
In the UK alone, almost 600,000 children are injured each year in an incident involving furniture. This is because bookcases can topple over, children can fall off couches, and drawers can be pulled out, causing injury. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to secure your baby’s room furniture, so the chance of injury and having to rush to your nearest urgent care center becomes much less. You can easily install drawer clips to keep them from being pulled open, and things like cabinets and bookcases can be secured to the wall. Additionally, you can put padding on the edges of furniture or buy furniture with rounded edges.
Put Your Baby to Sleep the Right Way
Your baby’s immediate sleeping environment is essential. And you can make your best effort for a safe, secure, and perfectly controlled room. However, many things can go wrong while your baby is sleeping. And there is a right and wrong way to put your baby to sleep. You should always place your baby on its back, with no toys in the crib. This helps reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome, where babies perish because they cannot breathe. Typically, this occurs when airways are blocked when babies roll over onto their stomachs.
Check on Your Baby Regularly
Of course, one of the easiest and most effective ways of providing safe space is to check on your baby randomly. During the day, this is easy. But it can be a challenge at night when you need to sleep. Always leave your monitors on so you can see or hear any distress. This is better because it means you don’t need to leave the room and attend to the baby for every small thing. This will make the child think you would come all the time. You can help your baby get good at sleeping by leaving them alone as much as possible as they get used to sleeping alone.
Summary
Your baby relies solely on its parents to provide a safe place to sleep, play, and grow. The challenges of parenting are numerous. But with some planning, you can make a safer space. First, you should make the crib as secure as possible by removing toys and loose blankets. You should also consider where you place the crib as sunlight and cords are unsafe. And then there’s the issue of baby-proofing with padding and using non-toxic materials and paints.
