We all have seen these habits of would-be-parent. It seems cute right? But along with this, it has another very critical situation that is, “How Can I Keep My Toddler Warm At Night?”?
From the initial months of pregnancy, the mother starts preparing for the welcome and wellness of the child, from reading motherhood books to watching different reference videos of good parenting to of course knitting sweaters and everything in between.
One of the many concerns of parents is about the winter’s night and how they can keep their baby all warm and cozy. Especially when it’s cold outside, and it’s tough to maintain the body temperature of the baby and thus keeping them vulnerable to cold and flu.
One simple thought that comes to our mind upon keeping our baby warm at night is piling up blankets and layering the baby with clothes, but this simple idea can have devastating consequences.
In the opinion of Safe Sleep Academy piling up blankets and layering the baby with clothes can have devastating effects, which is mainly OVERHEATING, which is a contributing factor towards infant sleep-related deaths.
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Let’s take a deeper look at Overheating:
Our body’s vital organs work best in our desired body temperature that is from 98-100 degrees. This temperature range is very crucial for the smooth working of the body parts.
Hence, when the body is exposed to a higher temperature for a longer period there are chances of vital organ failures, tissue damage or even sudden death in some cases.
Here are some signs of overheating:
- A baby cannot adapt like adults when they experience heat for a longer duration.
- Instead, their body shows some visible changes like redness in the face, deeper and faster breathing, sweating in toddlers etc.
- A parent needs to be more cautious and alert about their kid during the winter months.
- One can even touch their baby’s neck to see if it’s sweaty.
There are certain things to avoid and few to practise inorder to help you understand your question on “How Can I Keep My Toddler Warm At Night“
Things to avoid #1: Overdressing your baby
- Make sure that you do not overdress the baby with lots of layers and so the baby is comfortably dressed for their environment.
- According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP 2016), an infant should not wear more than 1 layer more than what an adult would need to be comfortable in that same environment.
- If you still get worried that your baby is cold, use a wearable blanket or sleeping sack that is of the right size for your baby. This would keep the body warm and the head uncovered.
#2: Too many blankets
- Parents should avoid covering their babies with blankets as it may cause suffocation and strangulation.
- As sometimes the blanket weight could be heavy for the infant and they may not be able to move it which may cause overheating leading to many other dangerous situations.
- Wearable blankets can be a good option other than blankets as they keep your baby safe because they greatly reduce the risk of suffocation and entrapment caused by regular blankets.
- According to the way the wearable blankets are designed, they cannot get wrapped around your baby’s head or neck. So, they keep your little one safe at night, while also keeping them warm.
#3: Avoid head coverings
- As many of us heard, “We may lose most of our body heat through the head”, hence covering the head could be a safer option.
- But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not to cover the head of the infant to protect them from cold. Because this practice may lead to overheating.
- Additionally, hats and head coverings can become unloose and slip down over the baby’s face and nose and create a suffocation risk.
- Hence, it is strongly recommended not to use them indoors.
Lets discuss some tips that can help you answer this question “How Can I Keep My Toddler Warm At Night?”
- Dress them right:
Follow the “easy to put and remove” rule. The clothes should be comfortable and easily removable. No heavy layerings are required as it may risk the baby’s life. Layer your baby with lightweight clothes. A good way to dress them up is by using the rule of one more layer than you in the same environment.
- Use wearable blankets or sleep bag:
In case your little one is too notorious to kick off the blanket at night, you may use the wearable blanket or sleeping bag. This is not smart but a safer option as well. It will also reduce the tension of dressing the baby well and the confusion of choosing heavy blankets.
Wearable blankets can be a good option other than blankets as they keep your baby safe because they greatly reduce the risk of suffocation and entrapment caused by regular blankets.
Because according to the way the wearable blankets are designed, they cannot get wrapped around your baby’s head or neck. So, they keep your little one safe at night, while also keeping them warm.
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- Setting the absolute right temperature in the room:
As overheating is problematic for babies, you may be wondering what should be the exact range of temperature for your baby’s room.
As the US Department of Health and Services explains that the cases of Sudden Infants Deaths increases during the colder month of the years, possibly because of parents trying to keep their little ones warm but ultimately leads to overheating.
It is usually advised to keep the room temperature following your comfort level. If you’re comfortable with the temperature, then it is appropriate for the baby as well.
Usually, it can be recommended to keep the temperature between 68-72 degrees (F) as a common practice.
- Preheat the crib or bed portion if it’s too cold:
If you feel that it’s too cold for your baby, you can consider preheating the crib to create a warm and cozy surface for your baby. To do this, you can put the hot water bag or hot water pad over the crib at least 30 minutes before you put your little one to sleep in the crib or bed. By doing this you can avoid overheating and burns risk.
- Place the crib away from the open spaces:
The position of the crib should be away from the windows, open spaces, fans, AC’s, etc. Close windows or doors. Through this, you can keep the wind off of the baby and the baby will be all warm and cozy.
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Conclusion
Being a parent comes up with many responsibilities and stress. One can easily get overwhelmed with these technicalities and even may start criticizing one’s self.
If you have any additional doubts and inquiries you may visit the paediatrician and consult them heart-to-heart.
A little alertness educating content can also help you get insights in different ways. We have mentioned 5 different techniques above to help you keep your baby warm at night.
We highly urge you to keep overheating problems in your mind while putting your baby to sleep.
This will not only help you be stress-free but will be a safer option as well. Rest stay educated and consume the right knowledge.
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