Cold baby in sleeping bag

[laughingeyes2013]

My 5 month old now wears a 2.5 tog sleeping bag in a room temperature usually about 19-20 degrees. Previously we had used blankets instead but felt now the night temperatures are dropping we should go to sleeping bags instead.

He still wakes regularly for night feeds, and I've noticed his ears are cold in the night recently. When I touch the back of his neck and shoulders he is cool and not warm.

He was born premature and don't know if it has anything to do with his temperature regulation, but he's always erred on the side of being cold and always needed extra blankets.

I don't know if this is partly the reason for his waking at night? After a good feed he is lovely and roasting warm. Also by 7am he is no longer cold.

I don't know what to do for the best. So what would you do?

Baby's extremities do get cool but it doesn't necessarily mean they are cold. They should still feel warm under their arms. A 2.5 tog sleeping bag in a 19 degree room should be fine as long as they have a sleep suit on rather than just a vest.

Sounds like he is just waking up because he's hungry.

The back of his neck and shoulders are cool rather than warm though.

Not sure whether its best to add more clothing or a light sheet over the top, or make the room warmer. I know the guidelines are strict about overheating and certainly I wouldn't want to risk SIDS, but I do wonder if they don't really account for babies who really seem to feel the cold a bit more than others.

I would maybe heat him, by adding a hat, or gloves, rather than the room as a whole, or put him a cardigan on under his sleeping bag.

More clothing - as far as I remember you aren't supposed to put layers over a sleeping bag but I'm jiggered if I can remember why.

Is he already in a long-sleeved vest under all-in-one pyjamas? If you think he is genuinely cold you could try some leggings or tights as well for a night, with suitable checks.

Not a hat!

My 10-wk old is the same - 2.5 tog sleeping bag over a vest and sleepsuit, in a room around 18 - 20 degrees, but ears still cold!

I find that scratch mitts seem to help keep his overall temp more comfortable. I think he's just inherited my propensity for freezing cold extremities, bless him.

Absolutely not a hat! Hats are only for outside.

Could you try along sleeved vest under a sleep suit and scratch mitts?

my ds2 has low muscle tone so he gets cold easily as part of that.

he wears a long sleeve vest, a onsie, a sleeping bag, a cardie and mittens.
he also gets a blanket on top.

spoke to hv and she said all babies are different & so are their rooms. if my son gets too warm he kicks his blanket off.

I was toying with the idea of a long sleeved vest under his sleep-suit but a bit afraid to step outside of the recommendations!

I dread to think what he will need when it really gets cold!!!

I think it's safer for them to wear more layers than heat the room?

Dd wears a long sleeve vest, fluffy sleepsuit, grobag and has a light duvet. She gets too cold if she doesn't have these and she still has cold face/hands!

I used to put a cardigan on my DD when she went into a sleeping bag because she always felt chilly. She is 9 now and is always wearing at least an exra layer if not two compared to teh rest of hte family - she jsut feels the cold. Looking back I am glad I followed my instincts.

I used to put all of mine in long sleeved vest, baby gro and gro bag in the winter - you can't sleep with cold arms!

On the odd freezing night we'd put a small duvet on as well (heating off). We had a breathing monitor.

Now they are older one definitely feels the cold more than average (as do I) and is always complaint about being cold. He wears a thermal t shirt and shorts under his school uniform from October!

My DD was a cold baby. I put her in one of the fleecy sleep suits with a vest under and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag.

My DD always wore long sleeved vests in winter. . Just don't use a hat or gloves!

DS is 8 mo, room is 18 deg. He sleeps in a 2.5 tog bag, long sleeve vest, baby grow or pjs. He seems cool and wakes frequently thru early hours and I am watching this thread with interest.

Although my room is 18 deg when I go to bed, the temp drops as my heating isn't on over night.

Not for everyone...but I would co-sleep. Co-sleeping not only regulates breathing but also body temperature

Is he cold on his chest? If so, then add more clothes underneath. Though 19C in a 2.5 tog should be fine. I usually add a long sleeve vest and long sleeve babygro if it's 16-18C.

the grobag brand now does 3.5tog bags for rooms that get colder at night. They also do a grosuit that is like a sleepsuit but has quilted arms to keep the arms warm while wearing a grobag.

www.gro-store.co.uk/essentials.html

also, does the room stay at 19/20 degrees overnight or does it cool down - if it gets cooler at night then more clothing may be required.

Thank you all for your replies it is so nice to know I'm not alone! It is all too easy to doubt the instinct to look after your child according to how your child is, rather than what the book says!

I have been at conflict with what I'm seeing before my eyes (feeling a cold front and back of the neck and shoulders etc), and my healthy fear and respect for experts warning about SIDS. So nice to know I'm not the only one.

The thermometer is a baby monitor room thermometer so being electronic I hoped it should be reasonably reliable, but it is tucked away at the head end of the cot and I'm not entirely sure it registers the difference in temperature as the night goes on. Certainly when I get out to go to the toilet I'm aware the air temperature has dropped considerably as my arms feel cold, then in the daytime when the thermometer is saying it is still 20°, I don't have that coldness to my bare arms so there is something about that night air!

I think it sounds like there are a few options. I now intend to try a longsleeved vest under the sleep suit, and if that doesn't work then a thicker sleeps suit, and then if that doesn't work I'll have to come back and revisit the thread to see which step to take next!

Yep it's always a balance between guidelines and your own instincts and context. Sounds like you will be fine to add a few more layers tho and I suspect you may find a long sleeve vest does the trick. I used to also put some cuddly toys round the edges of the cot to keep the draft out, far enough away from the babies so there was no danger of it going over their faces. Ironically, now they are older, I often find them in bed with cuddly toys, books, Lego etc over their faces!

It's probably against the guidelines but we live in Scotland and the heating is off overnight. On the cold nights mine have all had sleeping bags with removable arms. Verbaudet used to do them, not sure if they still do.

Common sense rules I reckon

Why not a hat? Surely that's what cotton baby hats are for? Obv not a winter woollen hat but a Cotton hat is made for babies to sleep in.

Ever see a picture of a baby swaddled and asleep? They always have a hat on

In hospitals babies always have a hat on. If prem babies wear one they obv aren't worried they are going to overheat. When in hospital with baby around 8 months for funny rash they put a hat on him

I would make sure they have a long sleeves vest, then babygrow as will keep feet warmer than actual pjs. Do you have any fleece or velour babygros?

Not yet but am off out to buy some from the nearest supermarket!

SIDS advice is to leave the babies head uncovered during sleep as they lose excess heat from their head so wearing a hat can make them overheat.