Toddler sleeping badly in hot weather. I could cry.

[spiritedawai]

My 21 month old has been sleeping awfully since the weather got warm. Every single night he wakes up 10+ times which is unusual for him. He sweats like crazy (he does anyway) and tosses and turns a lot. He wakes up asking for milk which I give him as I don't want him to get dehydrated. Again, he doesn't usually do this.

I'm absolutely exhausted. Any tips on how I can get him to sleep a bit better?

Sorry for yet another warm weather post. I'm from the Caribbean and love this weather!

We found that cheap reed blinds, the roll up type, were very good at filtering sun and heat.

Solidarity! The “try a fan” posts are making me laugh (in a weepy, despairing sort of way). We’ve got fans going day and night in the toddler’s room and ours, blocks of ice in front of them, windows open throughout the house for air circulation, blinds down in the day to stop the sun... it still reached 33 degrees inside the house last night. Cooled to a sweet 30 by morning, FML.

Mine’s “sleeping” (barely sleeping) in only a nappy and caning the water and boob all night long, sweating like a hog. Muslin over her for the comfort of having something to sleep under. Nothing helps at this temperature. Not anything to do but ride it out while playing fantasy Rightmove in cool-weather countries.

Those blue ice blocks stay frozen for hours. Get a large flat one and you can prop it up in front of the fan.

Or freeze a can of soup (I used to have pet chinchillas - they don't do heat).

I have been known to put my pyjamas in the fridge and I have a portable air com

Try putting a wet towel over the window, really helps with the humidity. I had an office in a converted loft space and it really helped. Also wrap ice packs in a towel to keep his cot cool.

In London in this heat we slept in the conservatory with the doors open.

I grew up in the sub-tropics. Wetting a bed sheet and wringing it out, then laying it over the top of us and putting a fan on it worked wonders. You can do that equally well with a t-shirt if your little one kicks the sheet off.

My DGM’s trick has come out this year. Damp muslin over DC and the fan...lets them fall asleep nice and cool.

We have slept downstairs before, when its too hot upstairs, not possible in a flat I know

my kids have those stuffed toys that double as wheatbags. I put them in a plastic bag and in the freezer for a few hours to chill before bed time on hot nights in Aus. they also cant fall asleep without something ontop so a very light muslin/cot sheet and chilled flannel combo.

reverse cycle aircon is the most expensive thing ive ever bought(aside from house) but I don't regret it in the slightest. 35c nights with little kids sucks.

oh also you can buy freezable hard plastic discs for pets (from pet supply stores). I have them for my house bunny but my kids steel them to cuddle on hot nights too. they are a bit easier to lie on or near than the bulky brick versions