The Optimal Temperature For the Baby’s Room

If you can barely take the heat as a grown Aussie…imagine as a tiny baby. You have every reason to be anxious about your little one’s safety when he/she is asleep. After all, they still can’t tell you that “it is awfully hot in here, Dad/Mum.” While it may be obvious that babies shouldn’t sleep in hot rooms, you might also be worried about the potential safety of your air conditioner. Isn’t cold air as harmful as high temperatures? Hold that thought. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the optimal temperature for your baby’s room – and exactly how your AC unit could help keep him/her safe and healthy. 

The Optimal Temperature for a Baby’s Room in Australia

Babies are sensitive little creatures. So much so that any changes in room temperature can make them fussy. That’s why, according to The Sleep Store Australia, your baby’s room shouldn’t be either too hot or too cold. It should be somewhere between 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.

How to Ensure Your Baby Stays Cool Throughout a Hot Night

Monitor Room Temperature

That doesn’t mean keeping a thermometer on hand at all times. Red Nose, Australia’s leading authority in infant sleeping safety, says it is usually not necessary to measure a baby’s room temperature in Australia. Still, doing so might bring peace of mind in more than one aspect. Besides reinforcing your baby’s comfort, it can also help you monitor energy efficiency in your room. It is safe to monitor the temperature in your baby’s room with an indoor thermometer.  But if you have an ActronAir Advance ducted system with the NEO controls, you can check the baby’s room temperature on the main control or on the NEO Connect app, so you don’t have to go into the room to check and risk waking him/her up.

Monitor Baby Temperature

Your baby’s body temperature can easily tell you if he or she is struggling with the heat. Monitoring it can be as simple as touching your baby’s nape or their neck. If it is too hot and/or sweaty, this is likely a sign that the baby is too hot. The chest, tummy, and skin areas are also good places to check for a potential increase in temperature. If you check their feet and hands, you will notice they might feel cooler than the rest of the body. For this reason, avoid using those areas as reference points of heat stress. Other signs that your baby is hot include:

• Flushing and redness
• Irritability 
• Excessive sweating

So keep an eye out for those!

Take Advantage of Your AC

ACs are relatively safe for babies when used in moderation with optimal temperatures, according to NSW Health. As long as you keep your air conditioner well-serviced and the air quality healthy, you have nothing to worry about. It’s recommended to use Split systems with a High Density Filter – like ActronAir’s Serene Series 2 system – which can remove up to 80% of dust and pollen in the air. If you don’t want to risk waking the baby to grab the remote on the other side of the room, consider a ducted system with AC controls like NEO. This intuitive technology allows you to monitor temperature from your mobile and tablet with a click. The only caveat is to avoid pointing the vent directly at the baby. In this case, systems that provide a two -directional airflow, in which the cool air is evenly distributed within the room, are preferred.

Give Your Baby Maximum Comfort With ActronAir

To summarise, you should keep the temperature in your baby’s room close to 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. While it is safe to keep the AC on in the room, be sure to follow the above tips for safety. If you’re looking for baby-safe AC systems, ActronAir’s products prioritise air quality above all else. Built with the extreme Australian climate in mind, our AC units and controls were made to keep the entire home cool and healthy. Take a look at our wide range of residential ducted AC units, licensed by Australian Made.