Sleep Training during extreme heat and heatwaves:
If it’s really hot in your home due to the current ‘heatwave’ it’s likely best to just hold off for a few days before making major changes within your baby’s routine or indeed implementing any form of sleep training. For example — if you were going to remove the dummy, it’s highly likely bubba is not going to be too happy about this and protest by crying somewhat — and due to the excess heat they can get more upset more easily and it can make, what should have been a fairly easy transition, much more tricky and unnecessarily stressful. That said if you can keep the temperature regulated through air conditioning or the use of a fan then it should be ok to go ahead as planned.
Tips to keep your little ones cool and comfortable:
- It might be boring — but keep them inside with a fan circulating cooler air. The air will more easily cool if you keep a through breeze from window to window or an open door as oppose to a ‘closed’ room with no air flow as the temperature of air that circulates inside just rises instead of being refreshed.
- Take with you a flask of ice cold water and occasionally soak a small muslin square or flannel with the water and put it on baby’s forehead or chest to cool them down. You can put the wet flannel over the vest as it doesn’t matter if the vest stays damp and you can just reapply.
- Of course, offer more fluids during the hot weather and add in a couple of extra ‘top-up’ breast feeds or a smaller bottle of formula in between regular feeds or just offer water to drink through a bottle or a sippy cup (depending on age etc.)
- If you need to go out use a Shade-baby pram cover or similar to protect them from the damaging UV rays. BUT they can quickly overheat in a pram so make sure there is air flow, they are mostly in the shade and that they’ve only got on a nappy and one thin piece of clothing, such as a vest. You also need to check on them regularly- even every 5 or 10 minutes, as each time you lift up the UVprotector it allows extra airflow and you can sprinkle some drops of cold water onto baby if they’re seeming hot.
Where to find 1:1 support and guidance with routine changes, sleep issues and reflux:
You can enlist my services for direct support by completing my booking form on alisonscott-wright.com/booking-form. I offer consultations via telephone/video and home visits. More info can be found on my website. Please also take advantage of my blog posts, books and podcast sessions detailed on my website.
