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?

My DD runs cold - from when she moved to the cot in her own room at 6 months I have generally added an extra layer other than in the height of hot summer.

Her room is also the coldest in the house.

So tonight, 2.5 tog bag, short sleeve vest, footless babygro (she likes free feet) 2 or 3 layers of cotton cellular blanket, and then plop an Ikea quilt thing loosely over her lower half when we go to bed later. She iis halfway down the cot and crawls up away from the blankets if she gets too hot.

That sounds a lot - but she feels normal, defo not hot - any less and she is too cold and wakes up for a cuddle when it drops in the night (I used to think it was waking for milk, but then realised a cuddle inside my dressing gown was all she wanted bless her).

She is 11 months now.

It's starting off 18.5 but heating is not on now till morning. Going to be a warm ish night though so she'll be fine. In a couple of nights it's going to go down to -1 overnight, can I not even double then? Feel like 9months is quite old. Sorry I'm a broken record here. I could put a cardie on her.

I use the fleecy sleepsuits from mothercare when it gets really cold.
And when it gets really really cold, a cardi on top and the grobag on top of that.

What about a long sleeved sleeping bag I've just bought one from purflow for DS2 when he's born as its going to. Be freezing

Not -1 indoors though surely? Have you got a decent thermometer? I'd be surprised if the room temperature actually dips below 12-14 overnight really.

Doubling will be warmer than the combined togs because of the trapped air. Why not ask Grobag about this, they might have numbers?

The 2.5 tog is recommended for 16-20c which is also the recommended temperature range for a sleeping baby. We shouldn't be considering 16c as 'cold' per se, it's perfectly fine.

The 3.5 tog is recommended for 12-16c so maybe that's a solution for houses that do get a bit cold at night.

not read thread

I would put a long sleeve popper vest on him, then long sleeve all-in-one sleep suit then the bag.

no more than that. hands or ears being cold is not a problem, but the back of his neck should be warm.

I used fleece sleepsuits for my kids, they are slightly warmer than cotton ones - you can use these without anything underneath or with a popper vest.

I had a preemie too, and he's always had a slightly low normal temp (usually around the 36 mark, though that'a perfectly within normal range). It is normal for temp to drop overnight though. I think you're coldest around 1am, which is why you can sometimes go to bed boiling in summer and then wake in the early hours freezing and pulling the covers up. So long as arms are covered when it's cold (either in a vest or long-sleeved gro bag) baby should be fine. Heads and ears aren't a good indicator of core temp - we were told to check neck, chest and tummy to see if he was hot or cold.

I'm very annoyed that the new Grobag guidlines on what baby should wear under the Grobags mainly shows their Grosuits - which a lot of people might not have -& dont state equivalent alternatives such as combinations of vests, babygros etc. Maybe their keen to sell as many Grosuits as possible! On top of this they seem to have changed their mind about stating that babies legs shouldnt be covered unless the temperature is very cold! Also,where before they were adamant that,for safety, their advice should be strictly followed,now their advice line say really it's up to the parents to use their common sense. All the above must make parents quite nervous because Grobags (any baby sleeping bag)is known to have the potential for overheating if you dont get it right! I suggest we all ask the company to give fuller guidlines & to bring back words instead of the cartoon illustrations!

You'll know if your baby gets too hot because their neck will get sweaty.

My baby was 5 months old in the summer when it was boiling!