Fireworks and babies: protecting sleep and hearing around Bonfire Night

Quick answer: Keep your baby well back from fireworks and never hold them while you're holding a sparkler. On Bonfire Night, expect noise until midnight, an hour later than usual. The NHS advises an urgent GP appointment or a call to 111 for sudden hearing loss.

What parents need to know

Registered sellers can sell fireworks for private use from 15 October to 10 November, GOV.UK says, so you may hear them on other evenings around Bonfire Night too.

That makes it easier to plan bedtimes and outings. If you know when the noise is likely to stop and how far back to stand, it's easier to decide whether to go to a display, watch from home or skip it this year.

When to expect firework noise around bedtime

GOV.UK says fireworks can't be set off between 11pm and 7am, apart from a few nights when the cut-off is later. Your council may also have local rules.

If you're planning a display yourself, RoSPA suggests using quieter fireworks where you can, giving neighbours notice and not setting fireworks off near vulnerable people. If you have a baby at home, it's reasonable to ask nearby neighbours to tell you their plans so you can plan bedtime around them.

Protecting your baby's hearing

Loud noise can damage hearing. The NHS hearing loss page lists damage from loud noise over many years as a cause of gradual hearing loss, and a very loud noise as one possible cause of a perforated eardrum. For people who already have hearing loss, the NHS advises wearing ear protection around loud noise to avoid more damage.

Distance helps too. RoSPA gives minimum safe distances of 8 to 15 metres for garden fireworks (category F2) and 25 metres for display fireworks (category F3). These distances are about injury risk rather than noise, but standing further back puts your baby further from the loudest bangs as well. Check the instructions on each firework because not every F2 or F3 firework suits every garden.

The NHS says hearing loss can be harder to spot in babies. GOV.UK has a checklist of how a baby makes and reacts to sound that can help you notice the signs.

Keeping a baby safe at a display or in the garden

Choosing where to watch

RoSPA says a professionally organised public display is the safest place to watch fireworks, with far fewer injuries than at small family or private parties. CAPT gives the same advice for anyone who can afford to go to one.

At a home display, only adults should handle fireworks. Children should be supervised and watch from a safe distance. CAPT suggests a marker such as a rope for older children to stand behind.

Sparklers

Don't hold a baby while you're using a sparkler. CAPT explains that babies and young children can reach out without warning and grab it, and sparklers can burn as hot as 1600°C. Both CAPT and RoSPA advise against giving sparklers to children under 5.

Put used sparklers in a bucket of water because they stay very hot after they've gone out.

Bonfires and clothing

CAPT advises building a bonfire at least 18 metres (60 ft) from the house, trees, hedges, fences and sheds. RoSPA recommends that one person is responsible for the fire, that you keep a bucket of water nearby and that you avoid loose clothing.

If older siblings are dressing up, CAPT advises costumes with a CE mark, kept well away from flames, sparklers and fireworks.

Frequently asked questions

What do the CE and UKCA marks on fireworks mean?

RoSPA says these marks show the firework has been tested to the required safety standard. Only buy fireworks that carry one of them, from a reputable retailer.

What should I do with leftover fireworks?

RoSPA advises returning unused fireworks to the shop you bought them from. Otherwise, soak them in water overnight, double bag them and ask your council where to take them. Never put them in household waste or recycling. Used fireworks should cool fully and be soaked in water before going in the general waste bin.