For most new parents, learning and understanding your newborn baby’s cues is the most difficult part of parenting. Because the baby can’t talk or take care of themselves, parents need to understand their signs of cold, hunger, or sickness among others. Other signs, like when your newborn baby is feeling cold may prove hard to interpret and the signs are not always straightforward. To be on the safer side, always dress your child in baby boy clothes to keep the baby warm at night.
A newborn baby’s body is not able to self-regulate temperatures similar to grown-ups. Babies’ bodies lose heat via exposed body parts like the feet, head, or hands. Ensuring your baby stays warm at night may be challenging even in the summer season. Always pay close attention and regularly check your baby’s temperature to avoid overheating or excess cold.
Here are a few tips that can assist you to know if your baby is cold or not at night:
1. If Your Baby’s Hands and Feet are Feeling Cold
Even though feeling your baby’s hands and feet is not a reliable way of knowing if the baby is cold or not, it does help. This is because heat is lost via the baby’s hands and feet as they are most exposed. When your baby’s temperature is normal, the hands and feet ought to feel warm like other body parts. In case your child’s hands or feet feel colder, dress your baby in an extra layer of baby boy clothes. When examining your newborn’s temperature, you can also feel the child’s neck from the back. This method of checking the temperature is more reliable. If the baby’s neck feels cold, this can mean that the baby is chilly during that particular night.
2. If Your Baby’s Skin is Pale
If during the night you discover that your baby’s skin is turning paler than usual, it can be a sign of coldness. However, if this happens and the baby stays inactive and lethargic, it may be a sign of hypothermia. And if this is the case, you can gently warm your baby by wrapping or placing the baby on your body and covering them using a blanket. Besides, putting a beanie hat on the baby’s head can lower heat loss.
3. If Your Baby Starts Sneezing
If your newborn baby begins sneezing often at night, normally it is a sign of feeling cold. This happens because of the reaction linked to the hypothalamus, a section of the baby’s brain that regulates body temperature. This explains why newborns often sneeze whenever they are being changed.
4. By Checking the Room Temperature
The most appropriate temperature for a newborn’s room should be between 19.0 and 21.0 degrees. If it’s cold, your newborn should be covered using cotton blankets. Also, let your baby sleep in a sleep sack based on the TOG standards. The “TOG” is a textile unit of measurement. Asleep sack having a low TOG is suitable during the summer season and 2.5 TOG is the warmest sack that you can buy for newborns.
Concluding Remarks
Ensuring your newborn stays warm throughout the night will assist your baby get to sleep comfortably and prevent regular wakeups. Always feel your baby’s hands, feet, and the back of the neck to check if your newborn is feeling cold or not at night. Also, remember to check your baby’s skin tone and if you realize some paleness, then your newborn may be feeling cold. Lastly, if your baby starts sneezing then check the room temperature and ensure it is the right one for your baby.
