Beat the heat: Essential tips for keeping your baby cool and safe this summer

 

As summer temperatures soar, ensuring your little ones stay comfortable and safe becomes a top priority. Bloomsbury Mill, resident baby expert, Hannah Love, has compiled her essential tips to help parents navigate the challenges of keeping babies cool during hot weather. From understanding the importance of temperature regulation in infants, who rely on us for their comfort, to practical advice on dressing them appropriately, we’re here to guide you through creating a safe and enjoyable summer for your baby.

So where do you start? 

Getting the balance right between vests, baby grows and sleeping bags is key. Tog ratings are a good guideline and there are some great products available that can be used even in the height of summer. Opt for a 1 tog sleeping bag which will keep your baby covered like they are used to being, while being light enough to keep them cool on hot nights. On really hot nights you can just put your baby into the sleeping bag with just a nappy on. It is rare for your baby’s room temperature to increase drastically overnight. So whatever clothing you decide to put them in at bedtime is safe all the way through to the morning, with no risk of them overheating.

But, what happens if the room temperature drops drastically overnight? 

If this happened and your baby felt too cold, they would simply wake, at which point you can put them into a higher tog sleeping bag and put them back to bed to go to sleep. In small babies that are waking for feeds you could change them into a warmer sleeping bag or add another layer at the feed before you go to bed.

What about sleep?

Like us, some babies do struggle to sleep in the heat. This is especially the case if they are relying on you to sleep. Being cuddled, fed or rocked when the temperature rises can be uncomfortable for both of you, as can co-sleeping or contact napping. If your baby is yet to learn to sleep independently, then my C.A.L.M Approach to  Sleep course can teach that in a kind and gentle way. Once your little one learns to sleep on their own then they will be more adaptable and be able to sleep anywhere or in any situation, even when it’s hot. 

 Until the end of July I have £15 off of my sleep course or 1-1 using the code 'SLEEP15'. Find out more and start your sleep journey here:

https://learn.sleepwellwithhannah.com/introduction-calm-approach

My top 10 tips for helping your baby sleep in the heat:

1. A frozen bottle of water in front of a fan can act as a home made air conditioning unit, cooling the room down more than just a fan alone
2. Keeping the bedroom curtains closed in the daytime will keep the room cooler, and more so with the window open if safe.
3. Some parents worry about the noise of a fan in the room but this can act as a good white noise - which babies love.
4. Take a beaker of water to bed with you so if you baby wakes you can offer that rather than milk overnight to keep them hydrated.
5. Coconut water is naturally high in minerals and potassium. Diluted coconut water is a great way to counteract dehydration in older babies and children (over weaning age).
6. Although babies in hot climates sleep in just a nappy, babies that are not used to sleeping that way can find it hard. Instead opt for a very low tog sleeping bag or sheet to keep them comfortable.
7. In smaller babies it is fine to alter their routine so they are going to bed a little later when it is cooler (and they should sleep in a little for you too!). As when the clocks change just push their whole day forward with their bedtime.
8. A tepid (not cold) bath before bed can help cool your baby down. You can also use a tepid flannel too.
9. Weaned babies can reduce their intake of solid foods in the heat - this is normal and nothing to be worried about. The most important thing is fluids. In bottle fed babies try offering their milk at room temperature (or colder if they will take it). This can help cool them down before bed.
10. If baby wakes more in the night, especially leading up to morning this can be due to being too cold. Check that the temperature hasn’t dropped in their room. Also remember the temperature thermometer should be at the same level as they are (on the floor) and not on top of a wardrobe where it will be much warmer.

Finally, there are a couple of other important things to remember on these hot summer days:

• Hydration: Keeping hydrated is so important to babies and children. In weaned babies over 6 months ensure you offer water with all meals. If they are having their 4 milk feeds in 24 hours on top of the food and water, then they will be getting what they need.
• If little one doesn’t have many wet nappies, then try and include some hydrating food options- a smoothie, some soup, a lolly made with coconut water and water or breast milk.
• Babies under weaning age might need more frequent feeds if they feed less than 6–7 times in 24 hours. Occasionally, if it is very hot, they might need one overnight feed, despite previously dropping them.
• If necessary, you can offer 1-2oz of cooled boiled water each day to a bottle fed baby. This is not necessary in breast-fed babies as your breast milk will adjust to be more thirst quenching.

And - enjoy it! Plenty of outdoor time, picnics, trips to the park and no muddy prams to deal with. Before you know it we will be worrying about snow suits, rain covers and hats and scarves again!