Can you use a fan in your babe’s room?
How to use one well, and what actually matters.
It's a warm night, you reach for the fan, and then you pause with a baby in the room. It's a common question. Fans are a normal part of a lot of nurseries, and used well, a fan helps keep the air moving so a room doesn't get stuffy on a warm night. The main thing is how you set it up.
How a fan helps: airflow and a cooler room
A fan keeps the air moving and can stop a room getting stuffy or too warm on a hot night, which is what you want for comfortable sleep. It's less about the fan itself and more about how you position it.
A fan moves the air, which changes what the room actually feels like. Here is how Orbie reads that where your babe sleeps.
How to set it up well
- Point it so it circulates the air around the room, rather than blowing directly and constantly onto your babe.
- Keep the fan and its cord well out of the cot and out of reach, the same as any device near where your babe sleeps.
- Use it to take the edge off a warm room, alongside dressing your babe for the temperature.
A fan isn't a substitute for the right layers
A fan moves the air, but it doesn't replace dressing your babe for the temperature. On a hot night you still want lighter sleepwear and a low TOG, and it's worth knowing the signs a babe is getting too warm. Our TOG guide covers what suits each temperature, and our seasonal guide covers how it shifts across the year.
Keep an eye on the temperature, not just the fan
The point of a fan is a comfortable room, so it's the temperature that matters, not the fan setting. Orbie reads the live temperature and humidity right where your babe sleeps, so you can see whether the room has actually cooled to a comfortable level rather than guessing from how the fan feels to you.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you're ever worried about your little babe, trust your gut and reach out to your GP, child health nurse, or Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436.
Sources
A fan helps by keeping the air moving; how you position it matters more than whether you use it.
Zero guesswork, every night
Orbie reads your babe's environment and the app tells you exactly what to dress them in.