Baby Room Design

When a family is expecting a new baby, one thing that’s likely high on the to-do list is setting up a nursery. That’s one of the fun parts of being pregnant, after all — buying cute nursery stuff makes up for all the nausea, leg cramps and constant trips to the bathroom!

You can help your baby to sleep safe and sound by keeping the temperature in his room between 16 degrees C and 20 degrees C. Many baby monitors come with thermometers built in. If yours doesn’t, a basic room thermometer will help you to keep an eye on the temperature.

It’s important to make sure your baby isn’t too hot or too cold. If your baby gets too hot, he may be more at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death. SIDS is uncommon in babies who are less than a month old and most common during their second month. Nearly 90 per cent of cases of SIDS happen in babies under six months old. But the risk reduces as your baby grows older, and very few cases of SIDS happen after a year.

If you think your baby is getting too hot, check his tummy or the back of his neck. This is the best way to check his core temperature. If he feels hot, or if he's sweaty, remove a layer and check him again. Don't worry if your baby's hands and feet feel cool, as this is completely normal.

On very warm days, keep your baby cool by closing the curtains or blinds and opening a window in the room where he sleeps. Cot bumpers can trap heat inside a cot, as well as posing a risk of strangulation or suffocation, so remove them from your baby’s cot.

In really hot weather, you may want to place an electric fan in your baby’s bedroom. If you do, keep the fan directed well away from your baby’s cot, making sure that it’s just cooling his room. Check the temperature regularly. It’s fine for your baby to sleep in his vest or just a nappy in really hot weather too.

In colder weather, don’t dress your baby in lots of layers. A vest underneath a footed sleepsuit should be fine.

If your baby is under a year old, he shouldn't sleep with a duvet or quilt. Instead, you could use a baby sleeping bag without a hood. This should be lightweight and the right size for your baby to prevent him from sliding down inside it. Choose a sleeping bag that’s suitable for the season - for example, a low tog one for summer (0.5 tog or 1 tog) and no more than a 2.5 tog for winter. Or you could use cellular blankets and sheets, and add or remove layers as needed.

Never put a hot water bottle or electric blanket in your baby's cot, however cold the weather is. And keep your baby's cot well away from radiators and heaters.

Find out more about creating a safe sleep environment for your baby.

Tags : baby room ideas, baby girl room, baby boy room, baby room temperature