How to keep a child cool at night without opening windows

[BreathlessCommotion]

Dd is 7 and has ASD. She is not coping well at the moment and has developed an extreme phobia of all insects, particularly spiders and anything flying. She refuses to open her window at any time and will keep her bedroom door shut if other windows are open. This is causing all sorts of issues around food, going outside etc.

But a huge issue is keeping her cool at night. She has a fan, but refuses to tie her hair back, it is long and adds to making her hot. When I go in to check in her, the room is unbearable, like a sauna. I leave her door open slightly and the landing window open to try and help. I'm actually concerned about heat stroke as she is so hot.

I've put some ice packs in front of the fan to try and cool it. Is there anything else I can try?

Have you tried an air cooler? I would say air conditioning unit but obviously you have to have the window open. Air cooler you add water to. I have a £30 (prices can vary) and actually very effective

Would she tolerate fly screens on the open window?

Just invested in an air conditioner for our very hot loft room and it’s been life changing. Get one if you can. This was £299 from Argos and worth every penny on a night like this. Pipe does go out of the window but it came with a pack that seals around the pipe so there’s no window open into the room for the insects to come through.

You could try -

• Wet hair with cold water before bed (cools you down a lot)
• Damp flannel / tea towel (cold water / put in fridge feezer) lay on back of neck & or back.
• Cool and soothe pads or cold flannel on forehead.
• Run icy water over wrists

Fly screens on windows, not just her window as you will need the door open for air flow.
Damp sheet, no quilt, put in the freezer for a bit to cool it down.
Cool shower and wet hair before bed.

Fill a hot water bottle with cold water and put it in the bed before she goes up. It cools the sheets down which feels lovely, she can then keep the cold water bottle in bed with her.

Alternatively you can buy cooling mats which go under sheets or inside pillow cases.

You should keep the curtains closed all day to shut out the heat. You could spray her with a water spray if she’d tolerate it or put a slightly damp towel for her to lie on.

We have a DD with ASD as well. She has a fly screen in her window plus a lace insert curtain plus a fan. We’ve explained to her it’s triple protection from insects- screen, then curtain, then chopped up by fan.

She also has a canopy bed with mosquito netting....so 4 layers protecting her. Just in case one insect is like Luke in Star Wars and has the force on their side. ( she is obsessed with Star Wars).

Only thing we did not foresee is that she runs the fan 24/7 even when it’s blowing in hot air. But at least her room is cooler than it would be and is cool at night.

(We have fly screens in all windows in house). And we swat any that sneak in when we are going in/out the door.

I always find waahing my hair b4 bed so it's wet helps keep my temp down x

On the long hair, my DD is the same. I was lucky in that I found a soft hair band with cat ears on it and she will wear that now and then.

Thank you, so many good ideas. We have discussed fly screens, she is not fully convinced that it would keep all insects out (like those tiny thunder/corn flies) but maybe a multi approach like @PlanDeRaccordement.

I hadn't thought about the cooling mats you get for dogs. And the cold hot water bottle. Great ideas!

Showering and washing hair are another issue, so we can't always rely on that (or at all).

I was going to suggest fly screens and mosquito net . Also a cool shower before bed if she will tolerate it .

Although grandma has fly screens and she won't open the windows there either. But with all the other things she might consider it.

We're using cold hot water bottles that have been in the fridge in a pillow case.

Good luck OP.
It’s so nice you are taking her seriously and trying really hard to keep her cool but also respecting her fears.

My bedroom is intolerably hot due to being a wooden clad house. I've recently come across an article that someone used water to stick foil to the window pain and it reflects heat and light away from the room. Another option is the gro blackout blind that suctions onto the window

Window PANE

£50 air cooler from groupon

We use a cold water bottle that has been frozen (or even two). Just freeze ordinary bottles of water, wrap well in towels, and put one at her feet and one beside her. If you are worried about condensation leaking water, then pop the frozen bottle into a ziploc bag before wrapping in towels.

Cooling towels are useful. Like a big microfibre cloth towel that you wet with cold water and can drape over yourself in bed without actually getting wet. If she won’t have one on her body directly you can hang them (wet) on the radiator to try to cool the air temperature a little. Amazon sell them.

I learned about them on here during last summer’s heatwave!