Heat waves can cause real havoc with baby/child sleep!
Here are my top tips:
1) Dress your baby appropriately for the temperature of the room:
for 24 – 27 degrees: short-sleeved vest OR sleeveless vest PLUS 0.5 tog bag
for 27+ degrees: 0.2 tog bag, OR short-sleeved vest, OR just a nappy;
2) Leave windows and doors open in the house, during the day, as much as possible (including the room your baby will be sleeping in);
3) Keep curtains and blinds part-way closed, during the day, in the room your baby will be sleeping in. This will block out direct sunlight but still allow the air to flow within the room;
4) Use a fan in the room your baby will be sleeping in, but don’t face it directly at your baby;
5) Hang wet towels over chairs/doors and/or in front of a fan – the evaporating water will help to cool the air;
6) You can place large bowls of ice, or frozen bottles of water (1 litre +) in your baby’s room or in front of a fan, if you are using one. This may help to cool the air as the ice melts;
7) Offer small amounts of water to your breastfed and bottle-fed babies, but only if they are over 6 months (cooled, boiled or tap water). The kidneys are not yet mature enough in babies under 6 months;
8) Breastfed babies may need feeding more than usual, but breast-milk should be enough to keep babies younger than 6 months fully hydrated. Bottle-fed babies may need extra formula, but paediatric advice suggests that a few, closely monitored SIPS of cooled, boiled water may also be OK. If in any doubt, please seek advice from a medical professional;
9) Monitor the temperature in the room your baby will be sleeping in by using a room thermometer;
10) Take off any waterproof mattress coverings you may be using in your baby’s cot/crib;
11) Give your baby a cooler (and quicker) than usual bath – this will help to cool them but ensure they don’t get too chilly;
12) Move your baby into a different, cooler room if necessary;
13) If you have a loft hatch, open this during the day to allow the heat to rise up through the roof;
14) Watch for the temperature in your baby’s room changing throughout the night as you may need to add or remove clothes;
15) You can ‘test’ your baby’s body temperature by touching the back/neck. Their hands and feet may always feel a little cool to the touch, so this is not a good indication of how warm they may be.
STAY COOL EVERYBODY!
