7 Important Safety & Decor Tips To Remember When Arranging Your Baby’s Bed

Little babies look at their peaceful and angelic best when asleep! Even though, as a new mom, you have probably spent the entire day running around with baby-related chores, you can’t help but gaze at his cute little face when he sleeps. Getting adequate and good-quality sleep is very important for your baby’s development. This is why arranging and decorating the baby’s bed in the correct manner is an important task for every parent.

Your baby’s bed must be conducive to peaceful sleep, and this can happen when it is comfortable without being too bright/distracting.As Indian parents, many of us co-sleep with our baby, or make them sleep in a separate bed in our bedroom.This way we can keep them close and ensure they are protected through the night. In this case, it becomes even more important for you to take safety precautions,as many things in an adult bed/bedroom can turn out to be risky for the baby.

We have compiled the top 7 safety tips for baby bed that will help you arrange a beautiful, comfortable and safe bed for your little darling!

1. Arrange The Mattress Tightly

This is an extremely important rule that all experts recommend for safe sleep. You must arrange your baby’s bed so that the mattress is snug and without any gaps. If there are any gaps, the baby can slip between the cracks and hurt himself. Also make sure there are no loose fabrics in or near the bed. This includes extra rugs, clothes, hankies, etc. Any loose fabrics can become a suffocation hazard when your baby sleeps, and have been cited as a risk factor for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

2. Use a Mattress Protector

Little babies, pee, and poop go together! No matter how many times you change diapers during the night, accidents may still happen. It is a good idea to use a mattress protector for your baby’s bed so that the mattress is dry in case of nappy leaks. This will also stop the growth of fungus or mould which can infect your baby. Remember – the mattress protector goes between the mattress and the bottom-most sheet.

3. Keep Nightlight at a Safe Distance From Bed

Many parents prefer using baby-special nightlights in the baby’s bedroom. These are specially designed to be soothing and come with dimmers that you can use while putting your baby to sleep. Just make sure the night-light is not too near or touching the bedsheets or bedcover. Placing them too near the bed can be dangerous as it can become a fire hazard.

4. Be Careful About Crib Decorations

Stuffed animals, crib gyms and hanging toys look terrific as decorations for your baby’s bed. You can use them distract your baby when he fusses at bed-time. He also stands to benefit from the visual stimulation provided by these decorations.However, make sure you remove all such decorations from the crib by the time your baby can get up on his hands and knees, or learn to stand. He might pull at them and hurt himself.Small objects can also become a choking hazard.

5. Don’t Use Pillows For Babies Under 1

Pillows – especially the cute baby ones with attractive motifs and quotes on them – look adorable on a baby’s bed.However, they are one baby cot decoration item you should forego till your child turns 1 year old. Doctors do not recommend pillows for babies younger than 12 months of age as they can be a suffocation risk.So, if you do keep pillows to decorate your baby’s bed by day, make sure you remove them when he naps.

6. Beware Of Cords

Your baby’s bedroom/nursery might have several gadgets that come with cords. This includes baby monitor cords, lamp cords, night light cords and telephone cords.Make sure that these cords are at a safe distance from the bed (at least 3 feet away).Not doing this can prove to be a major risk as the cords can lead to electric shocks, strangulation or other injuries.

7. Choose Paint & Wallpaper Carefully

One final tip – do not ignore the paint and wallpaper of the room your baby sleeps in, or the polishing of the bed.It is best to choose water-based paint that has low to zero levels of volatile organic compounds.If you are re-decorating the room for your baby, ensure it is well-ventilated and free of fumes before you bring your baby to sleep there.If you are planning to use a wallpaper or any other bedroom-decoration, make sure you choose a natural or paper-based design.

Avoid anything with artificial chemicals that may emit fumes or encourage fungal growth.