Less Oxygen on the Floor?

M0ON · September 2013

I bedshare with my baby girl on a mattress on the floor. My mom has been very open minded about things so far, but yesterday she expressed some concern that the baby is not getting as much oxygen as she would if she were up high in a regular bed or crib.

We have a big box fan blowing just off to the side of us to keep the air circulating but she seemed skeptical that it makes a significant enough difference.

Has anyone ever heard of the oxygen thing? I cant seem to find anything about it on google.

ReeceFamily · September 2013

I'm no physicist/physiologist, but in an average room with reasonable air circulation and temperature/humidity level, there is not going to be a difference in oxygen near the floor versus several feet higher. Yes, if the room is on fire and there is a great deal of heat/smoke, you're going to want to be as close to the floor as possible as you make your way out of there. Barring that, just no.

thatoneredhead · September 2013

Sounds like old school "Dont sleep with your baby" anxiety to me.

TiffanyBerry · September 2013

As a physicist (in my training, not my job since I stay at home now), I call BS. The laws of thermodynamics do not quite work that way.

(And, in fact, there is *more* oxygen closer to the ground, as oxygen is heavier than nitrogen (the bulk of what makes up our "air"). But this is comparing, say, 200ft elevation to 5,000ft elevation, not 200ft elevation to 202ft elevation - which is the difference between the floor and a bed.)

What does she think all those babies in Denver do? Sleep with supplemental oxygen?

cpmich · September 2013

She is being irrational. Just not remotely true.

sucredee · September 2013

TiffanyBerry said:

As a physicist (in my training, not my job since I stay at home now), I call BS. The laws of thermodynamics do not quite work that way.

(And, in fact, there is *more* oxygen closer to the ground, as oxygen is heavier than nitrogen (the bulk of what makes up our "air"). But this is comparing, say, 200ft elevation to 5,000ft elevation, not 200ft elevation to 202ft elevation - which is the difference between the floor and a bed.)

What does she think all those babies in Denver do? Sleep with supplemental oxygen?

We don't need O2 in CO, we just sleep on a top bunk :-P (you know since apparently there is more oxygen up higher) Sounds like your mom is full of it. What a bunch of baloney. Unless your kiddo is being smothered by blankets (which obviously would be a problem at any elevation) there will be plenty of oxygen to go around.

M0ON · September 2013

Thanks everyone! My mom isnt the brightest crayon in the box but she means well, I'm sure if she said this she really believes it to be true. I'll let her know theres nothing to worry about.

somewhereincali · September 2013

The only thing I can think of is maybe she is confusing the advice about not keeping a mattress on the floor because it needs to "breath" (not actually breath o2 of course but a conventional mattress isn't really designed to sit on the floor and has the potential to get moldy if you are in a more humid environment. Vs getting a bit more airflow if its on slats or a box spring.)

SarahandSam2007 · September 2013

M0ON said:

Thanks everyone! My mom isnt the brightest crayon in the box but she means well, I'm sure if she said this she really believes it to be true. I'll let her know theres nothing to worry about.

This will replace my "not the sharpest tool in the shed" usage.

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