Expert / 1 July, 2021 / My Baba
3 Must-Read Tips To Keep Baby Cool At Night This Summer
As the weather rapidly heats up, it’s important parents understand how to ensure their baby sleeps safely throughout the warmer months. This is why the sleep experts at The Gro Company and Millpond Sleep Clinic are offering guidance on keeping baby cool this summer.
Millpond Sleep Clinic’s founder, Mandy Gurney, shares her top tips for three key areas of safe summer sleep:
As the seasons change and families head off on warm holidays, following tips such as the above will help make sure babies don’t overheat. Keeping baby within the ideal sleeping range of 16 to 20 degrees can be more tricky throughout summer, but preparing early on is key to safe baby summer sleep.
Cooling the bedroom
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- To help with the build-up of heat during the day, shut the curtains or blinds and if the temperature outside the bedroom is hotter than inside, keep the windows closed too
- Pre-cool your bedroom with a fan and place it at a low level near a window to circulate the cooler air at night. Make sure it is not directed towards your baby.
- During the night, when the temperature outside becomes cooler (and if safe to do so), open the windows
- As you may be sharing the same bedroom as your baby for the first six months, you will all benefit from the comfort of a cooler room. This also means you can keep a close eye on the room temperature overnight.
Keeping baby cool
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- Use no or lighter bedding, or products designed with safe summer sleep in mind. Look for baby sleeping bags made from a superlight material to ensure newborns don’t overheat in warmer room temperatures. For toddlers, the new Grobag is the perfect sleep solution for warm bedrooms and travelling, made with soft, light cotton and with breathable underarms to help temperature regulation. Both are available at The Gro Company.
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- Use light cotton sleepwear, with no more than one layer more than you would wear to be comfortable in that environment
- Babies often have cool hands and feet, so the best way to check your baby’s body temperature is to feel the back of their neck or their chest
- Give baby a cooling bath at bedtime
- If your baby feels hot or sweaty you will need to take off a layer of their clothing or bedding
Keeping baby well-hydrated overnight
- If you are breastfeeding, there is no need to give extra water until your baby starts solids. However, your little one may request extra breastfeeds.
- If you are bottle-feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, your baby may need some cooled boiled water. They may also wake a little more for milk in the night.
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