Children's sleep and the right temperature

For your little one to sleep well, whether during the day or at night, the temperature of the room is a key factor and being able to measure it allows you to dress your baby with the right number of layers so that he or she is neither cold nor hot. Here we bring you some practical information so that this issue does not become a headache.

6 tips to check the temperature of your baby and his room

1. Use a room thermometer

Babies sleep better in cool environments, neither too cold nor too hot, with the ideal temperature being between 18º and 21º . So, it is important to check the temperature of your little one's room, whether it is winter or summer .

For this, there are baby monitors with which you can see the ambient temperature, although they tend to be a little inaccurate and almost always show a variation of between one and two degrees. Another alternative, much more precise and economical, is the ambient thermometer .

2. Check your baby's chest and back

If you still have doubts and want to make sure that your little one doesn't feel cold or hot while sleeping, you can go into his room and place your hand on his chest and upper back :

• If it's warm, your baby is fine.
• If it's cold, you're probably cold.
• If you are very sweaty, you are hot.

It is normal for your extremities, such as your feet, hands, cheeks and nose, to be colder than the rest of your body.

3. Don't cover your little one with a blanket

It is not advisable to use blankets in your baby's crib, especially when they are very small, as they are unsafe, uncomfortable and inefficient . Your little one could uncover himself while sleeping and what you want is to ensure that he sleeps comfortably in a safe crib .

So, if you check your baby's chest and back and notice that he is cold, it is safer and more comfortable to add layers of clothing as well as dress him in a sleeping bag . This way, your little one will not be uncovered and will spend the whole night warm.

If you have a newborn, you can use a swaddle instead of a sleeping bag . When your baby is 3 or 4 months old and starts showing the first signs of being able to roll over on his own while sleeping, then you can use a sleeping bag .

4. Dress your baby the way you dress yourself

Dress your little one in the same layers as you do yourself. Chances are if you're feeling well, he'll be too. Keep in mind that we're all different, some get hotter and some get colder.

As you learn your baby's sensitivity, you'll know exactly how many layers to use based on the temperature of the room.

5. Pay attention to temperature changes

If your home generally has a large temperature fluctuation during the day and night, you can use a heater with a thermostat that allows you to set a temperature, for example 20º C. This type of heater turns on and off, always keeping the room at the same temperature.

If you don't want to buy or don't have a heater with a thermostat, you can use a room thermometer to find out what the minimum temperature is in your baby's room at night . This way, you'll know how to dress him or her in the right layers depending on how cold or hot the environment is.

6. Don't stress

Follow all the tips above, but don't stress or obsess. If your baby is sleeping well, it's very likely that he or she is not too cold or too hot .