Now that we finally have some warmer weather (are we risking it saying that we think summer may be here?!) it may be that it has an affect on your little ones sleep. This may be because they are too warm, restless and unsettled and/ or their sleeping environment is too warm and has little air flow.
We have come up with some suggestions which hopefully will help to keep your little ones and their sleep environment as cool as possible, as well as making sure they don’t overheat during the day.
When you are unsure what to dress your baby in for the night, what tog sleeping bag to use, or whether or not they should have a blanket (please follow the safe sleep guidelines when using blankets), we recommend having a think about how hot you are and what you will be sleeping in, then add one additional layer to what you have, for your little one.
Did you know that little ones only start to be able to regulate their body temperature from the age of 12 months, although they may not be able to do this properly until they around 2 years old. This is why it is crucial for us to keep an eye on their temperatures and ensure they are not getting too cold or overheating! The best way to check your little ones temperature is by checking the back of their neck or their chest rather than their face, hands, legs or arms.
Not only do we all sleep better in a cooler environment, but research has shown a link between SIDS and babies who get too hot, which is why it is really important for us to monitor our little ones temperatures and the environment they sleep in.
To cool the sleep environment down:
Keep windows and blinds closed during the day when it is warm, and once the temperature outside has cooled down (and if it is safe to do so), have a window open to ensure that the room is well ventilated
Use a black out blind at the window to ensure that the room stays as dark as possible- this will help with the warmer days, but it will also help with the early mornings too!
Have a fan in the bedroom and turn this on prior to putting your little one to bed, this will ensure that the room is cool before you try and settle them. If it is a really warm night and you choose to leave the fan on, make sure that the fan is not pointing directly on to your little one and where they are sleeping.
Try to keep your bedtime routine as consistent as you can. If bathtime is a usual part of your little ones routine, you continue to bath them, but it may be worth giving them a cooler bath than usual. Please ensure that the bath is not cold!
The Lullaby Trust recommend that the ideal sleeping temperature is between 16°-20° or as close to this as possible. The best way of knowing what the temperature of the room is, is to use a room thermometer.
When your little one is napping in the warmer weather, especially when outside in a pram, please do not cover the pram/pushchair with a blanket/muslin as this prevents air circulation and leads to the inside of the pram/pushchair getting incredible hot and increases the risk of your little one overheating. To protect your little one from the direct sunlight, please use a sunshade/parasol instead which you can clip to pram/buggy.
Written for Naturalmat: https://naturalmat.co.uk/blogs/news/tagged/category-baby-and-child
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