Keeping baby warm at night

[Jessie2024]

So I never usually put the heating on overnight, because the house heats up very quickly and I’ve always been told to keep the baby’s room cool overnight for safe sleep. Baby (6m) sleeps in a vest, sleep suit and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag. Last night, I accidentally left the heating on, but instead of waking up every two hours like baby usually does, she slept through the night!! And she didn’t leak through her nappy like she usually does (I always assumed this happens because because she feeds every two hours overnight, but apparently babies wee a lot to keep themselves warm).
The room was quite warm when I went in this morning, but now I’m confused as she slept so well for once, so she clearly prefers a warmer room. So now I’m stuck between a warm room as she likes, or a cool room like the professionals recommend!! Need advice!

Never heard of a sleeping baby knowing to wee to keep itself warm.

I've never heard of the wee thing either! Do you have a Thermometer in her room? We tend to keep one in so we know what to dress her in. It might be warmth related, or maybe your little one is about to begin sleeping through the night at least sometimes. Provided it doesn't get crazy hot in there you could always try the heating on again, or have it on a timer so it's not on all night.

@DustyLee123 it’s true! A very strange fact, but it’s one of the most common reasons for babies to wet through their nappy overnight. I just assumed it was because she was drinking so much milk!

Says who?

That “fact” sounds like bollocks. I’d get a room thermometer and consider trying to keep the room at the warmer end of the safe range if you think it helps - but it’s probably just coincidence!

The wee thing isn’t true. Babies have absolutely no concept of what weeing is at 6m old let alone the brain development to understand to do it intentionally to keep themselves warm.

@MumChp I’ve seen it in a few places, articles etc. I’ll link one below

@PinkFizz1 I linked an article above. I was told this by my health visitor, maybe it isn’t true, but I’m just saying what I was told! X

You need to know what the actual temperature in her room is to know whether it is too warm or not. We have an oil filled radiator with inbuilt thermostat which goes on and off automatically during the night in winter.

@TheUndoing see I was told this by my health visitor, and I did some research and other people have said it’s true! So I’m shocked that nobody else has heard of it. Maybe it’s just some old-fashioned advice from my health visitor 😂. I’ll definitely look into a room thermometer

@Spottydotty268 I will check the temperature in the room tonight, but I’m pretty sure it was above the “recommended” safe temperature. Only slightly above, so I don’t know if that is okay or not

The temperature advice is given because a baby that is too cold cries but an overheated baby may not. Deep unbroken sleep is not necessarily a good thing under 6 months.

But it says nowhere a 20C nursery means less pee at night than a 16C nursery.

@teaandkittehs I’m beginning to think my health visitor was talking nonsense as nobody seems to have heard of the wee thing 😂. I’ll check the temp of the room tonight - but I’m fairly certain it was hotter than it should have been in there. But baby seemed to like it that way!

@MumChp Okay … I only mentioned the wee thing because she seems to leak through nappies a lot at night - and my health visitor mentioned that it could be because she’s cold. I didn’t look into the temperature specifics 😂 it’s not that deep really.

Generally I found the what your baby should wear at night, left them too cold so I used it as a guide. Think it’s generally 16-20 degrees for baby grow etc and 2.5 tog. So maybe see if it’s around 20 and hopefully not too much warmer.

@Wonderballs she woke up briefly a couple of times overnight, but she very quickly settled herself back to sleep. She doesn’t usually do that, she usually cries, so I assumed it was because she was at a comfortable temperature. It’s hard to know because I always keep the room at a safe temperature, but last night she seemed so much happier with it warmer!

Get a room thermometer but in my experience of my own kids and chatting to others it’s very common for babies to need a layer on top of whatever the grobag chart says. I think they really err on the caution re overheating. Also common sense- check on her as you go to bed, stick your hand well inside her sleeping bag etc to check her back/tummy and if they feel a good temp then you’re fine. Don’t rely on extremities because babies often have cold hands.
And never heard of the wee thing either!!

@Spottydotty268 yes I agree, I always dress her in what is recommended but she always seems too cold! It’s hard to know whether to follow advice or to follow your instincts!

@InTheRainOnATrain thank you! It was a cold night last night, so I’m hoping the temperature wasn’t too warm in the house with the heating on. I’m not sure if I should maybe make the room nice and warm, but dress her in slightly less to make up for it?

I pretty much usually needed to add a layer on what the charts suggested!

@Spottydotty268 I’ll try that, thank you! Maybe I should try a long sleeved vest rather than the usual short sleeved

Heat knocks them out it doesn't mean it's good for them OP . Room should be between 20-22 degrees for baby and then the right tog sleeping bag if the room is let's say 22 degrees would probably only need a 1 tog with there clothes on underneath it of course . A hot room clothes and a sleep bag that's a heavier tog is da Gearoid as they can overheat and can't regulate their body temp at that age . You need to check back of neck or tummy for how hot or cold they are never extremeties.

My two slept through from about six weeks. My HV said if they had very low birth weight she would advise waking to feed but not to do so otherwise. This was thirty years ago so thoughts may have changed.

@Jessie2024 I have heard the wee thing about humans in general not just babies.
The theory is , apparently, that when you're cold your body empties your bladder so that you don't use up energy warming up pee, and can therefore keep yourself warm for longer.

Absolutely no idea if that is true, bit you're not alone in hearing it.