Help your baby sleep safe and well in the heat

Our top tips to help your baby sleep well in the heat…

We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep, and room temperature plays a big role in this. Hot temperatures can make it hard for our bodies to cool down, and humid nights can lead to restless sleep and frequent waking. Even those who usually sleep well can struggle when it’s hot outside.

As the temperatures rise, here are some tips to help your little one sleep comfortably in the heat:

The ideal room temperature

  • In the summer months, it can be very difficult to keep your baby’s bedroom within the ideal range of 16 to 20 degrees C.
  • Not only do we sleep better in a cooler temperature, but more importantly research has shown the chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot.

How to cool the bedroom

  • Curtains and Blinds: Keep them shut during the day to block out the heat.
  • Windows: If it’s hotter outside than inside, keep the windows closed. When it cools down at night, open the windows to let in the cooler air if it’s safe to do so.
  • Fans: Use a fan to pre-cool the bedroom. Place it at a low level near a window to circulate cooler air, but make sure it’s not blowing directly on your baby.
  • Shared Room: Since you’ll be sharing the room with your baby for the first 6 months, a cooler room will be more comfortable for both of you. Plus, you can easily monitor the room temperature.

Checking the Room Temperature

  • Since 16 to 20 degrees Celsius can feel quite cool, the best way to keep track of your baby’s room temperature is with a room thermometer.

Keeping Your Baby Cool

  • Cooling Bath: Give your baby a cooling bath at bedtime.
  • Light Bedding: Use lighter bedding or none at all.
  • Sleeping Bags: If you use a baby sleeping bag, check the tog rating to ensure it’s suitable for the temperature.
  • Light Sleepwear: Dress your baby in light cotton sleepwear, with no more than one layer more than you would wear in that environment.

Checking if Your Baby is Too Hot

  • Babies often have cool hands and feet, so the best way to check their body temperature is by feeling the back of their neck or their chest. If your baby feels hot or sweaty, remove a layer of clothing or bedding.

Keeping Your Baby Hydrated

Just like adults, babies need plenty of fluids in the heat.

  • Breastfeeding: If you’re breastfeeding, there’s no need to give extra water until your baby starts solids, but they may want to nurse more often.
  • Bottle Feeding: If you’re bottle feeding, along with their regular milk feeds, offer some cooled boiled water. They might also wake up more often for milk during the night.

With these tips, you can help ensure your little one stays comfortable and sleeps well, even on the hottest nights.

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.DipHV.

Help your children sleep well when it’s hot

Sleep well in the summer

We love the warm sunny days with the chance to get outside with our children and enjoy time together. But at the end of a long day playing how can you ensure your child has a good nights sleep in the heat of a sticky bedroom?

Cooling the bedroom

  • Lighter or no bedding
  • Light cotton sleep wear
  • During the day time to help build-up of heat, shut the curtains or blinds and keep the windows closed if the temperature outside is hotter outside than inside. During the night, open the windows if the temperature outside becomes cooler.
  • Place a fan at a low level near a window to circulate the cooler air at night.
  • A cool flannel or towel on a fore head or feet. Cool feet help to keep the rest of the body cooler.
  • A cool shower then rest on top of the bed to dry off – this will help to reduce the body and induce sleepiness
  • A spray of cool water from a clean plant spray bottle- keep by the bedside to use at bedtime and over night.

Darken the bedroom

Our biological clocks are regulated by light. Getting the balance of enough dark time in the summer months can be difficult. Make sure your child has plenty of exposure to light during the day (not direct sun) and ensure their bedroom is as dark as you possibly make it at night. Darkness triggers the production of the “sleep hormone” melatonin.

Black out blinds are invaluable for blocking out bright morning light and long summer evenings. Try to make sure your child is away from bright light an hour before sleep. This includes all screens and bright bathroom lights too.

Wind down for sleep

Have a wind down time prior to sleep. You should encourage your child to change their activities to something relaxing in the hour or so before bedtime e.g. read to your child or listen to a story tape together.

Clear boundaries

Have clear and consistent boundaries at bedtime, when you say two stories mean two stories, if your child knows what to expect they are less likely to argue.

Bedtime routine

Aim to carry out the same series of steps every night, about 30 minutes before your child goes to bed:

  • Have a warm relaxing bath lasting about 10 minutes, a pre-bed bath should not be a play time.
  • Go straight from the bathroom into the bedroom – do not go back into the living area.
  • Dim the lights: this will help with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
  • Read one to two stories.
  • Say good night and leave the bedroom.

Your child should be asleep about 15 minutes later.

Bedtime snacks 

If your child wants a bedtime snack encourage a snack of foods that contain tryptophan. This amino acid is thought to make some people drowsy such as a banana, warm milk, an oat biscuit, whole grain cereal ,chicken and turkey all contain good levels.

Regular outside exercise

If possible encourage regular periods of outdoor play 20 – 30 minutes three or four times a week. Research has shown increased physical exercise promotes sleep; however aim not to exercise within 3 hours of bedtime.

Praise

Reward children with praise every morning when they have kept to the “rules”. A special trip out or small reward will do wonders do encourage them to keep going.

If you would like help with your child’s sleep please call us 0208 444 0040 or email us for a free assessment.

 

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