Key Takeaways
- Preheat the cot with a heating pad or warm water bottle to keep your baby warm, but remove it before you put your baby down
- Dress your baby appropriately, and avoid overdressing them with heavy woollens and thick materials to prevent overheating
- Refrain from using blankets and pillows before an appropriate age, as this increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
When the colder months roll through, you must ensure your baby stays as cosy and warm as possible. When your baby is young, there are so many rules around what they can and can’t sleep with safely. This can make bedtime during winter a concern for a first-time parent or caregiver.
In This Article
- How Can You Keep Your Baby’s Cot Warm In Winter?
- How Do I Know If My Baby Is Cold In The Cot?
- What Happens If A Baby Gets Too Cold At Night?
- When Can Your Baby Start To Use Pillows And Blankets?
- How Can I Check My Baby’s Temperature While They’re Asleep?
- Why Is It So Important To Regulate Your Baby’s Temperature During Winter?
- What Signs Should You Look For If Your Baby Is Overheating?
How Can You Keep Your Baby’s Cot Warm In Winter?
Keeping your baby’s cot warm during winter doesn’t have to be complicated. A few tips on how to keep the cot warm are detailed below:
Use A Heating Pad In The Cot
This is an easy and safe way to add warmth to the cot without risking it being too hot. Try doing this at least 30 minutes before bedtime, and take the heating pad out before putting your baby down. Also, ensure it’s not too hot to avoid your baby overheating or getting burnt. Never use an electric blanket or hot water bottle, which could result in burns.
Control The Room Temperature
Thanks to technology that allows us to control your baby’s room temperature, you might be able to keep it at an adequate temperature to enable them to sleep happily.
The optimum temperature to keep the room is between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Ideally, use a room thermometer to ensure the space is safe to prevent your baby from getting too hot.
Dress Your Baby For Winter Nights
During that time of year when all the cosy baby winter suits come out, you’ll see tons of babies dressed in extra fluffy or cute animal-themed onesies. They’re adorable and functional. However, parents and caregivers must ensure that what they dress their baby in will allow them to simultaneously regulate and retain body heat.
Dress Your Baby In Layers
The key is to have clothing that’s easy to put on and take off when necessary. You can layer your baby in warm but thin layers instead of thick and heavy woollen clothing. So, it won’t be a massive job when the temperature changes or they need a nappy change. This way, there is also less risk of your baby getting too hot.
Don’t Cover Your Baby’s Head Or Face
The primary way infants regulate their body temperature in the first year of their life is to release heat from their heads. So, covering their heads could pose a risk of thermal stressor it could be a suffocation risk.
Use A Baby Sleeping Bag
Many parents use swaddling as a method to keep their baby warm. As great as this is when they’re young, it can increase the risk of SIDS as they get older and move around more in their sleep. A baby sleeping bag or sleep sack is ideal for keeping your baby safe and warm.
Use A Firm Cot Mattress
A well-fitting, waterproof mattress protector sheet can add that extra warmth to your baby’s cot, so using a blanket isn’t the only way to keep your bub warm. Avoid softer mattresses that allow cold air to enter and that are also an asphyxiation hazard.
How Do I Know If My Baby Is Cold In The Cot?
The best way to tell if your baby is too cold is by touching their tummy, neck, or legs. You can also tell by looking at their face, and if they have rosy cheeks and are acting distressed, there’s a good chance they are feeling the cold.
Don’t measure their temperature by touching their hands or feet, as they aren’t capable of regulating the heat in their bodies for the first few months of their life and often have cold hands and feet as a result.
What Happens If A Baby Gets Too Cold At Night?
A baby’s overall body temperature will drop if they get too cold at night, and this can potentially lead to some serious health issues, such as hyperthermia. Luckily, there are some very easy ways you can ensure your baby is kept at a comfortable temperature through the cold winter nights.
Use Layers
One of the most effective ways of keeping your baby warm at night is to make sure they are dressed appropriately. Choose light layers that keep warmth in while still allowing the skin to breathe. A baby sack is a great choice if it’s a particularly cold night, and these are much safer than swaddling as there’s very little risk of suffocation.
Cover Their Hands And Feet
Just like adults, babies lose a lot of their body heat through their hands and feet. So, to keep your baby warm at night, dress them in soft, breathable mittens and socks. This will keep their body heat locked in without overheating.
Adjust The Room Temperature
It’s also a good idea to increase the temperature in your baby’s room if the night is particularly cold. However, you need to make sure their cot is not placed too close to the heat source, as this will avoid accidental overheating. Likewise, any blankets, soft toys, or anything else that could be a potential fire hazard should be moved far away from the heater.
When Can Your Baby Start To Use Pillows And Blankets?
As much as you might want to give your baby something like a nice, cosy blanket and pillow, it’s not safe until they are over two years old. They increase the chances of your baby getting tangled, entrapped or even suffocated, so you should not use them.
After age two, your child can finally know the luxury of using a pillow or blanket. However, be vigilant and continue providing a safe sleeping environment.
How Can I Check My Baby’s Temperature While They’re Asleep?
When checking a baby’s temperature, using a thermometer is not always necessary. Instead, place your hand on their tummy, neck, or their back. They should feel warm, not hot and not cold. Adjust their bedding, clothing or room temperature if they feel too hot or cold.
Don’t judge their temperature based on their hands and feet because it’s natural for them to feel cooler when your baby sleeps. When you’re unsure, use a thermometer to make sure they are the correct temperature, as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Why Is It So Important To Regulate Your Baby’s Temperature During Winter?
When the winter days roll around, our natural reaction is to try and keep the baby as sheltered from the cold as possible. So you’ll see lots of little tots kitted out in thick woollen gear and Eskimo suits. As cute as they may look in all the layers, babies are prone to overheating during winter as parents and caregivers might overcompensate for the cold temperature.
Overheating provides an enormous risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is due to babies not yet regulating their body temperatures properly. Instead, they rely on you to dress them appropriately and do what’s necessary to keep them at the optimal temperature. This is why you’ll see people making such a fuss over every detail regarding their baby’s temperature.
What Signs Should You Look For If Your Baby Is Overheating?
Babies overheating is a massive contributor to SIDS, so it’s vital to check your baby’s temperature regularly. Some signs that your baby is suffering from heat stress are:
- They’re hot to the touch
- They’re sweating excessively
- They’re looking sick
- They’re refusing to drink
- They’re floppy
- They’re having fewer wet nappies
- They’re irritable
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to ensure safe infant sleep and that your baby stays warm during cold winter nights. Things like preheating the cot with heat pads, putting the heater on in the room and dressing them in sleep sacks can keep them cosy without getting burnt or overheating. Never use electric blankets or hot water bottles for your baby, as they increase the risk of injury.