Whew! Although some will argue global warming is just a hoax, it still doesn’t seem to stop the temperature to climb every year, and this summer seems to fall right into that pattern. And unfortunately, not every house has air conditioning. Houses like ours have to find tricks and tips to keep bedrooms at a reasonable temperature. Especially during baby’s nap time.
Many parents spend a lot of time bundling their children, or stripping them down to keep an eye on their temperature. Feeling the hands and feet is an old wives tale on how to do a quick check but this is WRONG. Instead, slide your hand down her back and feel. If her back is too hot, it’s time to cool her down. An easy rule of thumb? Baby’s generally need a single layer more than we would. So if you’re stripped down to a tank top and some short shorts, a blanket definitely isn’t necessary.
But during nap time it isn’t always possible to stick your hand on her back to see if the room is making her too hot. Easy fix, cut of the problem at the root. Cool down the room to begin with and avoid the worries.
Here are some of my favorite tricks:
- Remove the bedding that surrounds the crib! Sure, the prams and cradle bumpers and even the comforter all match the theme of the room and keep baby from bumping her head, but all that thickness will trap any hotness in the bed. Remove the bulk and instead try a breathable bumper for the crib so she doesn’t accidentally roll and bump herself, but will also allow air to travel freely.
- Fans help. But a fan in a stuffy room only pushes stuffy air. Open the window in the room and in any other rooms you can (creating a draft). Start the fan a few hours before the baby actually goes to sleep. It will help air flow and reduce the temperature by a few degrees.
- My personal favorite, Hang some cool wet towels around the room. Off a chair, off the window, as the water evaporates it will also drop a few degrees.
- Instead of waterproof sheets, try laying baby on top of some cotton ones. Yes, it means more laundry as they WILL get wet, but they will also do their job of soaking any sweat so she’s not sticky when she wakes up.
- Strip her down! Sleeping in just a diaper isn’t dangerous at all and is probably the number one thing to do in the summer seasons!
- Everyone loves waking up to some cool water on the bedside. In the morning fill her bottle or sippy cup halfway with water and put it in the freezer. Just before bed pull it out and fill the rest with water. Through the night it will melt, but stay nice and chilly.
The perfect baby temperature as stated by doctors is a room temperature of 65-70 degrees. (16-20 degrees c.) But if you feel the baby is still too hot try moving her to a different room. Your intuition isn’t going to be wrong. If you’re hot and sticky at night there’s a very good chance she is too.
