Keeping baby warm at night

[WhyNotSmile]

My little boy is 4 months old, and I'm worried about him being cold at night. He wakes up fairly often (every couple of hours at least), and often seems to just want to cuddle in to the warmth rather than feed, which makes me think it's the cold that's waking him.

Baby monitor says his room is on the cold side (aroubd 14-15 degrees). He's wearing a long-sleeved vest, long-sleeved cotton sleepsuit, and is in a 2.5 tog sleeping bag, with a heavy-ish cotton blanket doubled over on top up to underarm height. I'd be freezing if that's all I had, but everything I've read says he should be fine, and that anything more could make him overheat.

During the day if he's out in the pram he's wearing his clothes, a warm coat (like a puffy sleepsuit thing), and then a fleece blanket and the padded pram cover. When we come back in sometimes he's asleep, and I leave him in there for a nap - he'll easily sleep for 3-4 hours. So he's capable of sleeping that long, but only seems to do it when he's really warm.

What can I try? Is it safe to add another blanket?

[dogtanianandthe3muskehounds]

I think I remember the gro-bag information saying that you can layer up underneath the sleeping bag, even including cardigans. I always found my DC needed an extra layer than recommended on the accompanying thermometer. I also found the fleecy sleepsuits kept them warmer than the cotton ones. I think the advice errs on the cautious side as of course overheating is one of the factors in SIDS, so it's difficult to know what to do for the best.

[Dinosaursdontgrowontrees]

My dds bedroom is currently 18 degrees she is wearing a long sleeved vest, pjs and a 2.5 tog sleep bag she is cold (she is 2 and has just told me so ) can you get your little ones room any warmer? I would say he is problem too cold.

[SoonToBeSix]

Don't use a blanket and a gro bag ever. He could easily over heat. Try a thin cardigan if you really think he is cold.

[Dinosaursdontgrowontrees]

Last line is supposed to say.. I would say he is probably too cold..

[talulahbelle]

We use a gro-suit (padded sleeves) and 3.5tog bag. The room goes down to 14 degrees overnight and my LO is lovely and warm.

[noblegiraffe]

You can get gro suits with padded sleeves gro.co.uk/gro-suits and a 3.5 tog sleeping bag gro.co.uk/grobag-baby-sleep-bags/winter-warmer-grobag or you could try sticking a cardigan on.

I know it's easy to worry about overheating, but I think that's unlikely at 14 degrees - my dd was that age in the summer when her room was up to 28 degrees! You know if they are really too hot because the back of the neck gets sweaty.

[WhyNotSmile]

Thanks everyone! I didn't know about layering up under the sleeping bag; I'll try that, and check out the gro-bags with sleeves and warmer tog (2.5 was the highest I cold find; didn't know they made heavier ones).

[Heatherbell1978]

I've been wondering whether my baby is cold (15 wks) for no reason other than I'm feeling really cold at the moment! Room tends to be around 18 at night and he's in short sleeved vest, long sleeved sleepsuits and 2.5 tog gro bag. The back of his neck is always lovely and warm but his hands are like ice...does that mean he's cold?

[Isisizzie]

You can also get sleep suits that are 2.5 tog to use instead of the cotton sleep suit. You can get them at Mothercare.

[purplemurple1]

If thwir neck and body are warm they are warm enough, but if you are worried about their hands you can put scratch mittens or socks on them to keep them a bit warmer.