Infant and child sleep consultant Kathleen Garwood, from Sleep Easy, offers practical advice to help give your children a good night’s sleep during the hot summer weather.
The hot weather is finally here! And while it is hard to say how long it will stick around for, it is always good to know how to keep your young children cool at night to aid a good night’s sleep.
Ventilate their room Open all the windows but keep the curtain mostly drawn. This will create an airflow through your house and prevent the heat from the sun warming up your rooms. If you have a loft hatch it is also a good idea to open it so that the warm air has somewhere to go.
Dress your baby appropriately Babies can not regulate their own temperatures so it is important to keep an eye on them and look out for any signs of overheating. If their neck or head is sweaty, they are hot.
Use a room thermometer to monitor the temperature in your child’s bedroom. Use a fan appropriately Fans are a great way to circulate the air in your child’s room. Teamed with a frozen bottle of water or bowl of iced water placed in front of the fan, they will cool the air temperature down. However, be mindful of the positioning of the fan. Do not aim it at your child or they will become too cold. Instead have it oscillate around the room.
Cool them down!
Giving them a lukewarm bath before bed will help to bring down their body temperature and relax them before bedtime. Do not make it too cold but cooler than a normal bath. If your child is very hot during the night, you can place a cool flannel on the back of their neck for a few minutes.
Keep them hydrated Babies and children will need more fluid intake during heat waves. If your child is still exclusively breastfed, they will get all the hydration they need through their feeds but be prepared that they may want feeding more than usual. If your child is having water, then offer it to them through the night for any waking's and make sure they drink plenty in the day. Monitor how often they are going to the toilet. A child wearing nappies should have a minimum of four wet nappies a day.