6 Best Ways to Keep Your Baby Warm at Night during winter
Small babies cannot regulate their body temperature according to the weather. Babies completely rely on their parents to keep their nursery warm, cozy and comfortable enough to sleep. Always make sure that your baby is warm and comfortable enough at night. Altering the room temperature and protecting your baby from cold or overheat is a challenging task for parents. However, by following some useful tips and guides you can manage all things quite well.
ways of keeping baby warm
It is the parents’ responsibility to keep the baby well managed during the night as they cannot regulate their body temperature. While it is important to keep your baby warm in cold winter nights, parents should not let the baby get too warm. Overheating is related to an increased risk of SIDS and cot death.
Many factors should be considered to keep baby warm at night while sleeping. Read on for some of the great ways to keep your baby warm during winter.
Avoid heavy beddings
A heavy and thick bedding material for your baby’s crib is not recommended for the first year. It is because an excess of sheet material or the wrong sort of sheet material can cause unintentional suffocation and overheat. It can pose a hazard of sudden newborn child demise disorder or SIDS.
Keep a check on the room’s temperature
The ideal room temperature to sleep in is 16 to 22C. This temperature might feel chilly to you, but parents should keep the temperature low to avoid SIDS and overheat. If you find problems in altering the temperature, then it is recommended to use a room thermometer.
You can buy room thermometers from the nearest medical store. They have features of changing colors according to the temperature that keeps the parents informed. Moreover, most of the baby sleeping bags come with a basic thermometer. https://www.babyadvisor.org/best-baby-monitors/Many baby monitors have the features of room thermometer too.
Make your baby wear the right sleepwear
A short sleeved bodysuit is a perfect night suit for your baby up to one year. Sleepsuits or bodysuits are perfect one-piece night suits that cover your baby properly. Some night suits also come with enclosed feet and hand to keep your baby’s hand and feet warm.
A fleece or cellular blanket is highly recommended to cover your baby with at night. If the room temperature falls below 17C and your baby feels cold then you can put another layer of blanket on top.
Use a sleeping bag
Sleeping bag or Sleep sacks for babies under 12 month is very useful. It prevents your baby from catching a cold, and the baby cannot remove it easily. But keep checking your baby, because the baby cannot pull the sleeping bag over his head that can lead to suffocation and SIDS. Moreover, avoid using a duvet for the baby under 12 months, as he can pull it over him and cause suffocation. Also, avoid using a sleeping bag and duvet together.
You can check if your baby is feeling cold or not by placing your hand over his chest or back, if he is cold then place another blanket over him. Don’t check baby’s hand or feet as it is common for it to be cold at night. However, if the baby is sweaty or warm remove a layer of blanket.
Keep a check on the windows
Don’t open the windows at night to keep the cold out. You can prevent the cold to enter the room by placing curtains on the windows. Thermal curtains on windows and doors are good options to keep the temperature moderate in the room. Insulation is also be recommended to alter the room temperature accordingly.
Keep the baby crib warm
It is important to keep the crib warm before you place your baby. Popping a hot water bottle under the blankets of the baby can help in warming up the crib. Make sure not to keep the hot bottle for a long time as it can cause overheating. Also, always remove the bottle before placing your baby in the crib.
You can also buy electric blankets to keep the cribs warm. Make sure to read all the safety precautions before using it, and do not use the blanket if it is damaged. Turn the blanket on for half an hour and turn it off before your baby gets in (unplug it from the switch as well to avoid any mishap). Electric blankets are recommended to use for the babies after the age of 2 years.