How to sleep in the heat
Sleeping well in the hot summer nights is challenging for everyone in the family. It can certainly have an impact on your child’s sleep. Paediatric sleep consultant Lucy Wolfe has some tips and advice on keeping your child cool and comfortable.
Children will sleep much better is a room temperature between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius. When it’s hotter than this outside, it’s wise to take extra measures to regulate the bedroom temperature.
- Dress your child appropriately to avoid over-heating, Strip down to nappy and vest if necessary and consider using no vest but a super lightweight sleeping bag* or a cotton pillow case safely folded down for younger children.
- Remove any unnecessary bedding from the cot to allow air to circulate freely: this includes padding, bumpers and also waterproof sheets if you are using them. A cotton sheet along with the mattress is adequate bedding.
- Keep the room cool during the day by opening windows in your living accommodation to allow for a through-breeze.
- Pull down room-darkening shades and/or curtains early in the day to prevent the sun heating up the room.
- Consider using a fan in the bedroom before bedtime, but make sure that it is out of reach when your baby is going to sleep. It may be helpful to place a bottle of frozen water in front of the fan to prevent re-circulating warm air around the room.
- If the room is super-hot, hanging wet/damp sheets or towels at the window or over chairs will help to cool the space down as the water evaporates.
- Give your child a cool bath close to bedtime to help regulate the body temperature ahead of sleep time.
- Be careful about sleeping children on the go. If you are using prams and buggies for sleep, be aware that this environment can become hot and airless rapidly. Avoid letting your child sleep in the car. The temperatures inside a parked car can rise very quickly, even with the windows open.
- Make sure that your child is well hydrated during the day.
- Check babies and children regularly to see if they are too hot. Look for sweating or feel your child’s tummy – hands and feet will usually be cooler, which is normal. If your baby is hot, remove clothes as you feel appropriate
Lucy Wolfe CGSC MAPSC runs a private sleep consulting practice and is creator of Sleep Through by Lucy Wolfe, a natural body and bed sleep spray and relaxing rub. Visit www.sleepmatters.ie
offer a range of an ultra-light 1tog organic sleeping bag called Snuggleboo. Visit BabyBoo.co.uk