There’s nothing worse than not being able to sleep at night because it’s too hot, but imagine how grim it is for your children who can’t really take the steps to get cool.
We’re loving the glorious sunshine after the grey miserable winter, and we like to make the most of it with picnics, BBQs and heading outside at all opportunities - but our children’s health is definitely a concern at this time of year.
Babies are particularly vulnerable to over-heating, and because they’re not able to tell us when they’re scorching, it means we need to be ultra vigilant and keep an eye on them.
It's important to keep babies cool in the sweltering heat, and with so The Sleep Nanny, Lucy Shrimpton, has shared her top tips with The Mirror on how to do just that.
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Risks of overheating
Your baby is likely to become restless if they are feeling too hot or cold, so they may be more difficult to settle to sleep than usual or wake more frequently due to the discomfort of the temperature.
According to the NHS, newborns are at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) if they overheat, so check for important signs that they’re not too hot.
These include checking your newborn doesn’t have a moist head or neck, which are clear signs of sweating.
If their face is redder than normal, they have a rash or they’re breathing rapidly, they could be overheating.
Dress your baby appropriately for the weather
If the room is very hot, for example over 25 degrees for most of the night, just a nappy and thin cotton vest may be just fine.
If the room is between 20-23 degrees, maybe dress them in a shortie baby-grow or shorts and t-shirt pyjamas, perhaps with socks or just a nappy and a 1 tog sleep sack.
Use only cotton bed sheets and avoid any waterproof mattress covering as this will hold heat and make your baby sweat.
If your baby is too young for any kind of bedding and it is too hot for a sleep sack, simply dress them in suitable clothing for the room temperature so that no covering is required.
Still unsure? Put yourself in their shoes. Babies will be comfortable dressed for temperatures as you would dress yourself, so ask yourself how hot it feels and what you would be comfortable in when you are considering how to dress your baby.
Just remember, you can pull the covers over you but they cannot, so imagine you are going to bed without any bed covers.
Give them a quick, refreshing bath
A luke-warm bath or slightly cooler bath than usual might help to refresh your baby before bedtime and relieve any clamminess.
Make it a quick bath so they don’t get too chilly.
Get a room thermometer
This will help you to understand what temperature you are dealing with. It’ll take away any guesswork, and give peace of mind that you have dressed your baby suitably for the weather.
Accurately check baby's temperature
Hands and feet do get colder than the rest of the body so it is natural for these to feel a little colder to the touch.
If you are unsure about your baby's temperature, feel the back of their neck or use a thermometer.
Keep your baby calm
A calm baby will remain cooler than a frustrated baby so try to maintain a calming bedtime routine and offer reassurance and comfort if they get agitated.
A cool flannel or cold compress dabbed gently on your baby may help to cool and calm them.
As well as this, there are a number of things Lucy recommends doing in your own home to keep your kids cool.
Try and create a breeze
Make sure you open all windows on the floor your baby will be sleeping on to create a blow-through.
Also, try pulling curtains two-thirds of the way across to block out the hot sun, but it’ll still allow the breeze through.
Open your loft hatch if you have one - this will allow the heat to escape up through the roof.
Consider moving rooms
If you cannot keep your baby cool in their own room, consider moving them to a cooler room in the house until the weather is less hot.
Set them up for the whole night - not just evening
Remember, no matter how hot it is at bedtime, the temperature will drop in the night so don't put your baby in their cot in just a nappy if it will drop below 25 degrees in the night.
You might like to check on them before you go to bed to see how the temperature is.
Do you have a top tip to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
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