Parenting Pointers: Prep Your Nursery for Summer Heat to Reduce Fussiness

Go Mama Go Designs advises parents on how to create a cool sleep spot

Even new parents quickly realize that an uncomfortable baby is an unhappy baby. In the summer when homes start to heat up, many parents let their young children sleep and run around during the day in nothing more than a diaper to keep them cool and unfussy. To help keep a nursery cool during the summer so baby sleeps well and does not spend nap time and most of the night crying, there are several steps parents can take including removing excess bedding from the crib.

For starters, parents should work to make the nursery as cool as possible by blocking direct sunlight from streaming into the room.

Black It Out – If the nursery is on the west side of the home or receives direct sunlight for the majority of the day, black out curtains can help block heat transfer from windows.

Swap Screens – Another option for reducing the amount of heat coming through windows is to install specialty sunscreens on the exterior of windows. This type of screen can block up to 95% of sunlight and can be easily removed and stored in a basement or garage for winter.

Once the source of summer heat has been addressed, the next thing parents want to check in the nursery is airflow.

Lose the Stuffing – Cribs filled with teddy bears, blankets and crib bumpers might look cute and seem to create a cozy place for baby to sleep; but having all that extra fluff not only blocks airflow, it can be a suffocation risk. To keep baby feeling comforted and protected choose a crib guard that leaves space to allow air to flow freely into the crib through the rails like Wonder Bumpers.  They are soft, yet stay safely secured (even loose thin bumpers are dangerous) and mimic the natural design of the crib.  A light swaddler or sleep sack will keep baby cozy and happy. Put everything else away.

Counter Rotate – During the summer months, ceiling fans should be set to rotate counter clockwise. This pushes air straight down to cool the room. The warmer it is, the higher the speed should be.

Call A Pro – Clogged and dirty air ducts can reduce the flow of A/C into the nursery, especially if the room is far from the central unit. An HVAC company can measure airflow coming from vents in the nursery and help determine if a duct cleaning is needed or if the A/C unit needs servicing.