Ideal Room Temperature for a Newborn: A Comprehensive Guide
Newborns are used to living in an environment where they are never tired, never cold, and never hungry. You can imagine their surprise when they are brought into the world and have to wait for their caregiver to figure out what they need before they can get it! I don’t know about you, but I’d be upset if I was used to getting everything my way at a second’s notice.
Because your baby isn’t used to cold temperatures, it takes time for them to adjust their body temperature. It is also important that they don’t get too cold or too hot at night! Becoming too hot at nighttime can significantly increase the risk of SIDS, so it’s best to regulate the room they sleep in as much as possible.
If you’re unsure of what your baby’s room should feel like and the signs of overheating, keep reading to learn more.
How To Tell If Your Baby Is Too Hot Or Cold
Maintaining the perfect sleep environment is important to ensure that your baby gets healthy, restful sleep. If babies become too hot, it increases the chance of SIDS. You can also reduce the risk of SIDS by having a fan blow in your baby's room or by using a white noise machine.
Dressing your baby for sleep when they are small can be stressful as they can’t tell you when they get too hot! Thankfully, though, there are signs that might suggest that they need to cool down. Some of those are:
Sweaty neck
Red cheeks
Damp hair
Checking the back of the neck was one of the easiest ways I found when trying to determine whether my babies were too hot or not. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t rely on checking your baby's stomach or chest when determining their body temperature. This is because their core temperature can feel hot, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are!
On the other side of the coin, your baby can also be too cold when sleeping. Here are some of those signs:
Blotchy or pale skin
Arms, legs, or cheeks that are cool to the touch
Cool back of the neck
Wake frequently throughout the night
If your baby is showing any of these signs, it may be time to turn up the heat! If heating may be an issue in their sleeping space, you can use sleep sacks to keep them warm. There are thin sleep sacks as well as heavier sleep sacks. You can also use a space heater to warm their room for 20-30 minutes before they go to bed, and you can turn it off before you go to sleep.
What’s The Perfect Room Temperature?
If possible, you want to keep your baby’s room at a steady temperature. The perfect temperature that their room should be is between 68-72 Fahrenheit. This ensures that they are not too hot or cold as they relax and catch some shut-eye.
Try to avoid using space heaters in your baby’s room if possible. If not, use it to warm your baby’s room for approximately 20-30 minutes before you put them down to sleep. You can leave it on until it’s time for you to go to bed to ensure the room is comfortable for your baby. Other alternatives to consider to keep your baby’s room at the perfect temperature are:
Installing Insulating Curtains
Putting heavy-duty insulating curtains will help keep warm air in your baby’s room. It will also help prevent a draft from coming into the room. An added tip is to keep the curtains open during the day to let the sun in to encourage warmth to come into the room.
Seal The Windows
Especially in older houses, there often tends to be a draft coming from windows. During the colder months, you can seal off the windows to avoid drafts. There are kits that you can buy to place plastic over the windows, or you can use weather stripping, caulk, or other sealants.
Keep The Door Closed
If you have taken extra measures to keep your baby’s room warm, such as using insulation curtains and sealing the windows, you can also keep their bedroom door closed. This will encourage the heat to stay in their room instead of immediately spilling out into the hallway. This is especially helpful if you enjoy a cooler house.
Monitor Your Baby’s Sleep with Baby Connect
Who doesn’t love a room that is tailored to their needs? Your baby should have a room that is dark and cool with a sound machine running. This is the ultimate environment to help encourage your sweet baby to get some much-needed shut-eye.
Using Baby Connect is the perfect resource you need to keep track of all your baby’s likes, dislikes, health information, and milestones. This will help you learn more about your baby’s personality as well as make sure they are on track to reach their age-related milestones. While using Baby Connect, you will never be more in tune with your baby and their needs!
Download Baby Connect now to try the app for free.
