How to help your baby sleep in a heatwave

Charlotte Evans
Jul 5
2 min read

Updated: Jul 9

A heatwave is on it's way...

I don’t know about you, but i’m really not a fan of the heat - about 25 degrees is my maximum threshold - and being too hot is no fun when you’re trying to sleep as well.

If your little one still naps during the day, this is actually a great opportunity to get them out of the sun during the hottest hours, but it’s still important to keep their sleep environment as cool as possible.

baby sleep in a heatwave — Keeping your baby's bedroom cool in a heatwave

My expert tips for keeping your baby’s bedroom cool during a heatwave:

Open the windows in the early morning to let the cooler air circulate around your baby’s bedroom
As the temperature rises during the day, keep the curtains and blinds closed to keep that cool air in
If you have one side of the house that doesn’t get the sun during the day, you can keep these blinds and windows open a little to still encourage air circulation
In the early morning and the evening when the air is cooler, use a fan faced away from the window so it sucks through the cool air and circulates it around your baby’s bedroom
Put a bowl of ice or a frozen water bottle behind a fan to circulate the cooler air
Give your baby a cooler (not cold!) bath as part of their bedtime routine to help bring their core temperature down before sleep
If you have a toddler who is in a bed with a duvet, remove the duvet from the cover and just have the cover over them (ensure the buttons are fastened at the bottom to prevent tangling themselves up in it!)
For little ones older than 12 months, you can have a non-spill beaker of water in their cot or bed with them in case they get thirsty in the night

how to dress your baby for sleep — Download my free guide for how to dress your baby depending on the temperature

And most importantly...

air circulation is more important than blackout. I’m a big advocate of pitch black rooms for baby sleep, but during a heatwave the air circulation is more important. Keep the window cracked open and the curtains or blind open slightly so there is some air circulation - you can always close this again when you go to bed.