Are you considering adding a humidifier to your infant’s nursery? Not sure of all the benefits or where to start? We’ve got you covered.
In this article, we’ll go over the facts about humidifiers and babies so you can decide for yourself. We think you’ll like what you learn.
First Considerations
The first thing you might as yourself is “are humifiers good for babies?” The answer to this question quite simply is, yes, there are many health benefits to having a humidifier in your baby’s bedroom.
A humidifier helps your infant breathe better, which will improve sleep for colicky babies and just restless children in general. Easier breathing allows for more comfort, and hopefully more sleep for both the baby and mom and dad.
There are a few things you should mind though when using one, however. Keeping the humidifier clean is of the utmost importance in maintaining a healthy environment for your child. A dirty humidifier is not only inefficient, but it can actually spread harmful germs and bacteria around the room if left unchecked for long periods of time.
Health Benefits of a Humidifier for Babies
There is a myriad of different reasons to keep a humidifier running while your little nugget catches some need z’s. Other than easier breathing, here we will talk about some of the added perks for a baby’s health.
- Decreased Snoring
You might be somewhat alarmed if you hear your baby snoring, however, you should not fret, this is normal yet can be disruptive to your little one’s sleep.
Running a humidifier will moisten the nasal passages, and in turn, decrease snoring. With any luck, your baby will have less interrupted sleep and start sleeping longer durations.
- Virus Prevention
Illness in young children and infants is quite common due to their underdeveloped immune systems. Even more so when the mercury drops in the winter and everyone is cooped up inside.
Adding a humidifier to your nursery can help reduce the chances of your child coming down with a virus because viruses travel easier in warm dry air than they do in moist air. Increasing the humidity in your home with a humidifier, while not foolproof, should reduce the chances your infant gets sick.
- Reduced Fussiness
You may have a colicky baby or just occasional fussiness. Outside of normal reasons like hunger, dirty diapers, or just generally sleepiness, the air might be too dry causing some discomfort.
Moist air can help them breathe easier, and the white noise of a humidifier can relax and soothe your child. Humidifiers have been shown to help regulate body temperature better, which keeps your child from becoming too hot or too cold.
- Relieves Coughing and Congestion
Kids are always stuffy. It’s just the reality that you learn to live with as a new parent. However, there are ways to ease some of the discomforts your little one experiences from coughing and congestion outside of cold medicine, which is not recommended for babies.
A humidifier is a great technique to employ to ease baby’s congestion and help them breathe easier. The warm moist air will clear nasal passages and soothe the throat, often allowing them to sleep more soundly throughout the night.
- Heal Dry Skin and Chapped Lips
Whether is eczema, cradle cap, or chapped lips, babies often suffer from irritating skin conditions beyond their control. Oftentimes these conditions are present from birth.
Moist air generated by a humidifier is a great way to help soothe these conditions as warm dry air is often the culprit behind these conditions worsening. The humid air adds moisture to the skin and lips offering a good deal of relief from the pains of skin conditions.
Other Things to Think About
Beyond better sleep, more comfort, less congestion, and easier breathing– humidifiers can help to ease cracked lips from nursing and prevent infections derived from viruses and bacteria.
There are a variety of different humidifiers, and you’ll need to pick one that best suits your needs. A few of the more common versions include warm mist, cool mist, evaporative, and ultrasonic humidifiers.
Each home is different, so you’ll want to find one that works for your room size, set up, and living situation.
Conclusion
Humidifiers are a wonderful addition for any nursery, offering plenty of benefits that will help your baby, and in turn, you sleep better.
Consider adding a humidifier to your house this winter and fight off the unwanted side effects of a dry house on your infant. You won’t regret it.