Dressing baby for sleep?

[BongoWinslow]

I need some advice on dressing 8wo baby for sleep.

Our house gets down to about 16 degrees in our room at night - he sleeps beside us in a sidecar cot.

If we put him in anything less than the following, he cries:

• sleepsuit
  
• long sleeved vest
  
• socks on hands and feet
  
• light cotton hat
  
• 2.5tog grobag + cellular blanket + thin cotton blanket
  

If the hat falls off, he wakes up. Put it back on, he goes back to sleep.

Doula who stayed overnight couldn't get him to sleep until she realised he was cold despite being dressed in what's normal for baby so put more clothes on him.

This is why we put so much clothing/bedding on him.

This worries me, but he seems fine. Not overheated, not red in the face etc.

However, he wakes up with very cold hands. DH wants to put fleece gloves him because of this. I already think he has too much bedding on him and don't want to.

I know cold hands are normal, but DH keeps saying 'but they're really really cold' which is probably true.

He sleeps through from 11pm - 6am. He has a cold at the moment (cough + runny nose) so DH is particularly keen to keep him rugged up.


What do people think?

[Funkychunkymunky]

My DD always had cold hands and always has.

What you are dressing him in sounds fine to me.

Is there anyway to increase the heating so the room is 18 degrees as this is the optimum temperature for babies?

If he has a cold he may have a slightly raised temperature so the worst thing you can do is smother him in more blankets.

It wouldn't hurt to add fleece gloves though so if you have some you could try them.

[DuelingFanjo]

Am not sure if a hat is recommended, is it?

babies do need to have an outlet for overheating and I always thought taking a hat off indoors was recommended?

[dietcokesholidaysarecoming]

SIDS advice is a big NO to hat and I would say no to gloves too.

Also It suppose to be grobag or blankets.

[BongoWinslow]

I know about SIDS/hats and about grobag/blankets - I hate that he
has them on but DH insists he's too cold otherwise. That's why fleece gloves are just a step way too far.

We live an old house with no double glazing and it's impossible to get it warmer. Heating already runs all day/night. Am putting up insulated curtain linings to hopefully keep it a bit warmer but until I can sort that, we're stuck this way.

[dietcokesholidaysarecoming]

I dont wish upset you but I think you need to stand firm.

Follow SIDS advice- regardless of Dhs wishes.
The consquences could be awful otherwise.

TBH you will be woken up through night at 8wks old and Im amazed he is sleeping as much as he is.

[Funkychunkymunky]

Oh sh*t just realised you said grobag, blanket and sheet.

Misread it as grobag or blanket and sheet.

2.5 grobag is enough with long sleeved vest and sleepsuit and mittens (socks stay on better)

Maybe get a warm, fleecy mattress sheet?

[BongoWinslow]

thanks heaps for the advice.

I'm going to see if I can convince DH to let me take some of the layers off. Have managed to negotiate one of the blankets off already. Will work on the hat next.