How close should a humidifier be to a baby? Let’s take a look at the safest distance you can have a humidifier in your baby’s room and other questions about humidifiers and babies.
How close should humidifier be to baby?
There’s nothing sadder than seeing your baby unwell, and you want to do everything you can to help them get better quickly.
Helping them sleep better is a win-win- your baby sleeps better, and so do you!
You’re either looking into buying a humidifier for your baby or you’ve recently purchased one. But what are the safety issues you need to look out for?
A humidifier should be at least 3 feet away from your baby and out of reach of toddlers and young children.
Having a humidifier too close to a baby could distract them while trying to sleep, from either the sound or the lights.
And having a humidifier too close to a toddler or young child could result in curious hands going where they shouldn’t!
When using a humidifier in your baby’s room, the humidifier will fill the room with more moisture and essential oils if you’re using them.
Your baby doesn’t need to be right next to a humidifier for it to work well!
How close should a humidifier be to a toddler or young child?
If you have a toddler or young child, the humidifier should be placed away from them and out of reach.
Young children are good climbers and if they’re curious enough by a colored appliance that’s bubbling away in their room, they may be tempted to reach the humidifier.
It’s a good idea to use a cool mist humidifier in a child’s room instead of a warm mist humidifier. This reduces the chances of heating causing scalds or burns.
Can I put humidifier next to baby?
A humidifier should not be put right next to where your baby is sleeping.
There should be some distance between your baby and the humidifier, for health and safety reasons.
A humidifier disperses vapor into the room, which can turn into condensation in a cold room once the vapor hits the wall, windows or furniture. If the humidifier is right near your baby’s cot and the vapor is hitting the cot, it could turn into water droplets and leave your baby’s cot or bedding damp.
Where to place the humidifier for your baby
Keep the humidifier at least a feet away from furniture, walls, windows, other electrical appliances and your thermostat.
This prevents any potential damage and also prevents incorrect thermostat readings due to the heat from a warm mist humidifier.
Your humidifier should be kept elevated on a shelf or stand in the baby nursery.
This prevents any water from pooling on your floor and also helps the vapor to be distributed more evenly in your baby’s nursery.
Do be careful of water damage to wooden furniture especially if you’re putting the humidifier on a wooden shelf.
However, the humidifier shouldn’t be placed on a towel or tea towel as this stops the unit from working properly, plus it could cause the unit to topple over easily.
Should you let your baby’s humidifier run all night?
Having a humidifier running all night in a small space like a bedroom could lead to condensation and a damp, moist room.
This isn’t recommended because it creates a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, not to mention damaging your furniture.
But you can prevent this from happening by leaving your baby’s bedroom door slightly open to prevent condensation.
How long you let a humidifier run for at night depends on the humidity in the room and also your baby’s needs.
You can check the humidity level in the room by using a hygrometer. Some humidifiers come with a built-in humidistat that does this for you.
Most babies fall asleep easily when exposed to white noise, and the soft bubbling hum of a humidifier can help put your baby to sleep and keep them sleeping longer.
The great thing is that most humidifiers have a timer, so you can set the timer to operate for only half the night.
Or you can add half the amount of water to your unit so that it doesn’t run for as long.
One final word
Using a humidifier in your baby’s nursery is a great way to help them sleep especially when they’re congested.
And when your baby sleeps better, so do you!
Keeping a humidifier at least 3 or 4 feet away from your baby in their bedroom will keep your baby safe while also making sure that the room and its furniture are not damaged by vapor and dampness.
