Air conditioner and fan in baby's room

Can you use an air conditioner or a fan in a young baby's room if your baby sleeps less well because of the heat?

The first thing to know is that you should avoid large temperature gaps between indoors and outdoors as much as possible. These can cause thermal shock in a young baby, since their immaturity makes thermoregulation harder. The gap should not be more than 5 degrees. Overheating is of course not recommended for an infant, and neither is a temperature that is too cold, which also risks disturbing them.

Over the course of the year, the temperature in the house (and in your baby's room) should be close to 20 degrees Celsius (between 19 and 21). It is possible and acceptable for the ambient temperature in the house to be a little higher during a heat wave. The humidity level in the house, for its part, should sit between 30% and 40%.

Before considering installing an air conditioner in a baby's room, some basic measures can be tried first, to see whether or not they are enough to encourage better sleep during a heat wave or a spell of very hot weather.

• Make sure your baby is well hydrated.
• Give a lukewarm/cool bath as part of the evening routine, before bed.
• Cover your baby very lightly. A very light muslin sleep sack, a bodysuit or simply leaving them in a diaper.
• Close the blind and the window in the room very early in the morning and open them in the evening when the air is cooler, to cool the room down.
• Place a floor fan with the air pointed toward the wall, to create air circulation in the room. Be careful not to point the fan directly at your baby. If you have a ceiling fan, it will be important not to place your baby directly in the airflow.

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Air conditioning and baby: in the car and at home 

• Air conditioning should never be aimed directly at your baby, and your baby should be covered accordingly.
• The air outlet should be set to low or to the minimum.
• Turn the air conditioner on 2 hours before bedtime to cool the room. Turn it off at bedtime. 
• Since air conditioning is often drier, keep an eye on the humidity level.
• Always be sure to follow the manufacturer's maintenance and cleaning instructions.
• Noise is also worth considering when buying one.

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