Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Original poster

Could swaddled baby be too cold?

29 replies

Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 08:24

Morning all,

I have a 21 week old dd who sleeps reasonably well swaddled. My older dd was swaddled until just shy of 6 months so I am quite happy with that but I have started to wonder if little dd could be cold.

We live in a 60s house which is like a greenhouse and subsequently our bedroom starts the night warm and drops temperature quite a lot. I don’t know for sure but I suspect it might drop as low as 14 degrees overnight (the main heating is set to come on if the living room drops to 9 and it does come on some nights)

Dd is in a summer swaddle me microfleece, a sleepsuit and I have now put her in a long sleeve vest.

When she wakes her wee face is very cold feeling and when I take her swaddle off even her hands seem cold even though they are tucked in.

How do I warm her up a little?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Bella8 · 13/11/2017 08:42

I know it's dangerous for young baby's to over heat as well but with you saying little ones hands are cold it does sound like she may be a little cold. Instead of the summer swaddle would you not try a sleep/grow bag? You can get them in different togs to suit the season. You could also try a fleece sleepsuit with built on hands instead of a normal sleepsuit.

Bella8 · 13/11/2017 08:44

Sorry I've just reread your thread and you said you're happy with the swaddling. So I would def suggest a fleece sleepsuit with hands, they're lovely warm and snuggly.

MissBax · 13/11/2017 08:46

Can you get a thermometer for the bedroom? Optimum temp for a baby is 16-20°. We got a gro egg for around £12 from.argos

Bella8 · 13/11/2017 08:47

Or if that's too warm just a pair of warm mittens..it's so stressful making sure they're the right temperature isn't it. I'm pleased DS is 8 and a half months now as the early days I used to do nothing but worry.

Redken24 · 13/11/2017 08:49

Our house is cold - dd is in vest, long sleeve pyjamas and 2.5 sleeping bag. When she was a newborn we had swaddling and cellular blankets . She's a year now.

Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 09:20

Thanks for the replies.

She just seems very shuffly as though she might be trying to warm up. She might not be but I am just trying to work things out. We lived in a new build for older dd so this was never an issue.

I am putting her down for a nap now and testing her in a grobag with her arms tucked in. She is very reliant of swaddling so this could be a slow journey to weaning her off it.

I will try her in a fleece sleepsuit. I think overheating is unlikely given the temperature of the room but it is hard to get it right for the whole night.

OP posts:
Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 09:22

And I think I might get a room thermometer just to check. I suspect she might be in a draft from the window though.

OP posts:
Migraleve · 13/11/2017 09:27

Don’t tuck her arms into a grow bag. They are not designed to be used like that and she could slip downward.

Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 09:38

Thanks migraleve. It is a one off test with me sitting right next to her. You are quite right and I wouldn’t be doing that overnight.

OP posts:
Bella8 · 13/11/2017 09:48

I think if your little one loves being swaddled why change it. The warmer sleep suit or a blanket could work.
My DS actually likes to be in a grow bag with blanket tucked over the bag securely a round mattress. Maybe that may work for your little one if you decide to transition her.

Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 09:50

Oh I know bella! I have no idea why I have my knickers in a twist about this and why I am convinced that being out of the swaddle will help!

She doesn’t roll yet and goes into the swaddle happily. I am just a bit anxious about it for some reason.

I am going to google fleece sleepsuits while she naps

OP posts:
gamerchick · 13/11/2017 09:53

You say her hands are cold but what about her tummy? If she was too cold then she would wake up surely?

Bella8 · 13/11/2017 09:55

I am the same because my little one has blanket on top of grow bag and I used to think but nobody else's baby sleeps that way and then came to realise babies are all different and what works for one doesn't necessarily for another and if yours is happy one way there nothing wrong with it. There are some lovely fleece suits with compartments for their hands. I find babies hands and feet get cold so easily. I'm on the hunt for some outdoor mittens for my 8 month old but difficult to get them on own in his size. He already has a couple of nice hats. Sorry to go off topic!

PickingOakum · 13/11/2017 10:05

I got worried about this too, op.

We live everyone in a rural area where, when the heating turns off, the house can get cold very quickly (thermostat will read 16/17 but feels more like 14/15). I had dd in a vest and a sleep suit with a folded blanket over her. She fussed quite a bit at night.

Then I realised I was wearing a cotton night gown, socks, and a fleecy jacket and sleeping underneath a duvet - - sometimes even wearing some pyjama pants too. Considering the idea is that they wear a layer more than an adult, dd seemed underdressed.

So we got a sleepyhead and popped an extra doubled over blanket on top of her. She now sleeps a lot better at night.

Tl;dr: she was cold at night and it was making her grizzle.

Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 10:05

I am wondering if she is waking because she is cold gamer. She seems to shuffle herself awake which is a bit different to when she wakes wanting fed if that makes sense? I felt her chest and back and I wouldn’t say she was cold but not nicely warm either.

Her waking could be nothing to do with being cold but I do wonder. I suspect I am overthinking

OP posts:
Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 10:07

That’s the thing picking. We have a 9 tog duvet and I wear jammies to bed. If I move out of my wee warm spot, the bed is cold and I could comfortably wear socks as well. If dh is not in bed with me then I almost always wear socks.

OP posts:
StinkPickle · 13/11/2017 10:11

Yes I think she could be cold. There is SO much panic over over heating that we end up having cold babies sometimes. I definitely did with my first. I constantly thought he was cold but didn't do anything about it as he was wearing what the guidelines told me to dress him in at night according to the temperature.

With the next 2 children I always put extra layers on and they were much better. I'm intelligent enough to spot if a child is over heating and so obviously if you dress your baby warmer and then she is red faced/clammy etc you know shes too hot!!

If you and DH are in that many layers then I think mums intuition is fine to use, and put more layers on her. Trust me you'll spot if shes too hot

Scotinoz · 13/11/2017 13:56

I think we underdressed our eldest who was consequently cold, and didn't sleep well. We dressed our second with extra layers and she slept well.

The GroBag website was quite useful with what to wear in what temperature, although I thought they were a bit cautious.

In winter I'd dress mine in a long sleeved vest, pyjamas, a 2.5 tog bag and pop a blanket over the top. We also had lovely lambs wool toppers for the cot which were super cosy along with brushed cotton sheets.

We were always told that a cold nose/hands weren't indicative of temperature, if they felt cosy on their back or front then they were ok.

Redken24 · 13/11/2017 15:11

Have u taken her temp? That's how I discovered my baby was cold. I didn't realise that they are supposed to have one more layer than us (I think) and I definitely put more blanket's on top of swaddling and when in grobag a knitted cardi on the outside

Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 16:27

Thanks for your thoughts. It is very annoying that I can’t make a simple reasoned assessment of this -
For some reason I was much more confident in this issue with my first. And thinking back I used to tuck her in with a cellular blanket over the swaddle and the room was much warmer. I will try the fleece sleepsuit tonight and maybe a cellular blanker over the top if she keeps shuffling

OP posts:
Original poster
Passmethecrisps · 13/11/2017 16:28

Would her actual core temperature be lower redken?

OP posts:
oldlaundbooth · 13/11/2017 16:31

Our house is 18.5 degrees overnight.

DD has a vest, thick onesie /sleep suit on and a sleep sack - not sure of the tog but it's winter weight one.

She sleeps better warmer.

oldlaundbooth · 13/11/2017 16:32

I totally understand your concern, I'm always panicking the kids are too warm /cold etc.

Bryonie2017 · 13/11/2017 16:34

Yep some babies are colder than others! The first time i put blanket on my DD at night I actually checked her temp after an hour (I set an alarm) and took it off and felt her tummy because I was so paranoid about overheating! She wasn't even warm to the touch! She now sleeps with a long sleeved vest, grow bag and cellular blanket and it has stopped her waking except when hungry (were down to one wake up at 3 months)

Temperature guidelines are all very well but some adults get colder than others so I don't see why babies can't get colder than others.

Redken24 · 13/11/2017 16:59

It was lower than it was supposed to be on average. I remember googling and thinking fark my baby is freezing and it's cause I'm useless lol
So I just layered up, it definitely helps as I think she sleeps better at a warm temp (herself not the room boiling)