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?

Yes, the head is the only uncovered area so if you cover it they can't lose excess heat.

A too-cold baby will wake up and cry to let you know. A too-hot baby, on the other hand, can't.

My 2 sons both seem to need at least one more layer than the grobag chart suggests. We also have temperature probes all over the place (don't ask) and I've noted that the temp displayed on the baby monitor is usually 2C higher than that on our weather monitoring equipment. The heating goes off at 10 and by 2/3am it is sometimes 16/17C.

We have quite a cool house and whilst I start with the guidelines think adding thin layers one at a time and keeping the head uncovered to let excess heat out as pps have explained is ok. When I saw my mum bundle up DS2 (now 5mo) in his Moses basket under blankets galore I can see why the guidelines are so conservative in reaction. He's now usually sleeping in a 2.5 tog grobag, a vest and a sleep suit. He's been waking without being hungry the last couple of nights so I'm exchanging the vest for a long sleeve one tonight. In the depths of winter, I'll add a cotton cardigan over the grobag so I can easily remove it if he seems to get too hot.

No hats!

I don't know much but I know that. It's because heat loss through the head is an important part of temperature regulation. There is a real risk of overheating if they can't regulate body temperature that way.

I recall a MW saying 'no hats in the house!' very firmly, on day one, when I'd given new dd heat rash by putting a cotton hat on her head overnight - in a house at 18c.

I thought our drafty house, in March, was probably a bit cold. 'This is not a cold house' she declared, firmly.

Dd, now 19mo has, since then, always worn clothing pretty much in line with Grobag guidelines. Sleepsuit under 2.5 tog bag between 16-19c (overnight). If I think it might get colder, a vest underneath, short-sleeved at around 16, long if I know it's likely to get own to 14c.

I used to set the heating to come on between 2 and 3am to keep the temperature up. Not doing that this year, might get a 3.5 tog bag, or just manage with vests, which I think is ok.

I'd recommend you look at the grobag quilted sleeve suits, use vests, ask a HV how warm he really should feel - it will depend on how warm your hands are too - and take his temperature to reassure yourself.

Just getting DS2 ready for bed and remembered he is also wearing socks! Think what a difference warm feet make to my own sleep.

twoandtwohalves is that inside the babygro? I'm fairly sure babygros have feet? DD is now 2.6yo but babyhood wasn't that long ago I've forgotten surely

To be honest I used to put cellular blankets over the sleeping bag at night as once my daughters hands would go blue overnight.

With the other two I just co-slept and regulated the temp myself overnight.

I second co-sleeping. So nice to snuggle with a nice warm baby and your temperature will regulate his.

Socks under a sleep suit is a bloody great idea. Might pinch that one! Thanks!

JoJo Maman Bebe do two sizes of a 3.5 tog winter sleeping bag with detachable arms that I'm planning on using for our newborn in our igloo-like house. Failing that its a panel heater on a time clock in his room

Socks inside the babygro yes. We had a hospital stay early on and a nurse suggested it. Tbh if I don't do it his feet do get cold unless it's v warm outside.

Well last night I tried to long sleeved vest under the sleepsuit idea. It certainly helped take the edge off it, but he was still a little bit cool to touch on his back and front of the neck. Also his whole legs were cool when I took them out of his sleeping bag to change the nappy overnight. But they weren't as cool as they have been, so there was some improvement.

Also baby slept for 3 hours and then 4, before going 2 hourly with his feeds again. But that lengthening of feeds was significantly better than it had been, so i can only imagine the poor little mite has been woken by the cold and is simply trying to survive by 'asking' very loudly for a feed overnight.

I put a blanket over the top of my little one's sleepsack otherwise he is too cold.

It's a bit scary to go against the guidelines with something so vitally important as SIDS.

There was me wondering why the thermometer wasn't reflecting the change of night temperature in the bedroom, and then I was reminded that our core body temperature drops overnight when everything slows down so we can sleep - and THAT will probably account for the cold arms and legs I feel (on myself) in the night! DUH!

My first was a chilly child who wore a cardi over her onesie when tiny, then needed fleecy onesies. Child 2 was always toastie and still needs less layers than the rest of us.

I put a blanket on dd if her room feels cold. we have an angelcare monitor so not worried by doing so. I think you should follow your instincts tbh.

Put a vest on. I live in a cold, drafts Victorian house and in the depth of winter (ie, colder than now) mine wore: socks, long-sleeved under vest, fleecy sleep suit, high tog grobag.

They do get cold hands (oh, I remember the freezing little hands on my boobs!), but they are fine.

Can I double up two 2,5 tog sleeping bags? Room gets very cold. She is 9 months and wearing vest and sleepsuit.

Room is 18.5 at the moment but will go down a lot.

No, don't double up on sleeping bags. If it's that cold it may be that sheets and blankets are more appropriate.

Thank you. Damn she's asleep now. Blankets over the sleeping bag?

our house goes down to about 14 degrees in the winter overnight but when the kids were babies they just had a bodysuit, sleepsuit and 2.5tog grobag and they slept fine. You cannot double up sleeping bags but you could try adding a cardigan under the grobag or getting a 3.5tog one if the temperature is going to drop below 16 degrees

Could you have a 1 tog one over a 2.5 tog one to make a 3.5? Have taken her out of the extra sleeping bag without waking her. !!!.

no I wouldnt as each extra layer would trap extra air and you could overheat her. 18.5 degrees is not cold for sleeping in.

I've been putting my 4 month old in a long sleeved vest, warm babygrow, 2.5 tog sleeping bag with a fleece jacket over the top and she still sometimes feels slightly chilly. Our room does go down to 15 degrees in the night though at the mo.

I was a bit paranoid about overheating with my first I think, but really as long as you're sensible, the risk is miniscule

I used to double up sleeping bags when DS was about 1 - it did go down to about 11 in his room though!