would like to hear what other parent's ideal room temperature and clothing are for their toddlers while sleeping. i am having trouble finding the perfect combo!
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Ideally under 20 degrees with long sleeved and legged pajamas and a nice duvet. However in HK this is not really practical. We do 25 degrees plus a ceiling fan on medium. The kids have thin short sleeved and short legged pajamas (or soft shorts + T-shirt/tank top) and a duvet cover (essentially two layers of bed sheet).
The rule of thumb is that hands should not be warm. Hands should be cool but not cold. The core (feel the neck) should be warm but not hot. Feet can be cool but definitely not cold.
Cool and dark is better for sleep. In the US, our kids had 16-17 degrees in the room at night. Of course that meant long pajamas with socks and a onesie underneath, plus a growbag. We also did the Scandinavian thing of naps outside in most weather down to around minus 10. Red cheeks and good health! Cold makes babies sleep like babies as long as they are warm and snuggly inside their clothing.
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well here is the thing. i used to also do 25 degrees, ceiling fan on low, long sleeve pyjamas (not sleep suit that covers feet) and no blanket (how in the world can you get them to keep themselves covered?!!) BUT when i went in there in the morning, i myself felt cold, but bubs seemed to be fine and slept great too (till 7 / 7.30).
BUT i couldn't help but feel that it was too cold if i myself felt cold. so i recently changed it to no AC, ceiling fan on medium, and very light cotton short sleeve pyjamas with long pants but it is all very very light cotton. but bubs seems to be sweating and also waking up a little earlier 6.30ish....
do you think this is affecting his sleep? he is naturally a warm sweaty bubs - takes after dad!!! whereas i am always cold opposed to being hot. so i find it hard to judge knowing that our body temps are not in sync...
unless i can figure out a way to keep a blanket on, i can only work with the clothing / AC / fan combo. suggestions please! thanks. :)
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The fact that you felt cold as you entered can be misleading. They don't seem cold and they sleep great. That's good enough. You'd have to sleep there for a few hours to actually know. If you try it, just remember that kids should normally have one more layer compared to adults.
"do you think this is affecting his sleep?"
Certainly. Feeling too warm normally leads to worse sleep.
The best sleep is well under 25 degrees. As I mentioned our kids slept best under 20. It may seem a bit weird to lower the temp and pile on the clothes, but the fresh air really helps.
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For my 20month old - a short sleeve onesie (no legs in it) with a 1.0 tog Grobag, and A/C set to 26C. Room feels cold when you first go in, but if you sit in there for a couple of minutes it's actually a very "pleasant" temp, his hands are often cool to the touch. If we use anything more to cover him up or switch to just fan we have a huge sweat stain around his head!
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so 25 degrees with long sleeve pyjamas seems about right then? no blanket. i do sit in there for longish periods but i am wearing a singlet and shorts and i feel cold. but that's me. he seems to be always on the warmer side. i think the one layer more rule applies in reverse here!
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My 3.5 month old is in a long sleep jumpsuit with a 1.0 tog grobag and a sheet over the top, aircon is on 22-23 deg.
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My 3.5 month old is in a long sleep jumpsuit with a 1.0 tog grobag and a sheet over the top, aircon is on 22-23 deg.
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My 3.5 month old is in a long sleep jumpsuit with a 1.0 tog grobag and a sheet over the top, aircon is on 22-23 deg.
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we have 20C, a pj and a 2.5 tog grobag.
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the right temperature is between 17-21 C
Studies have shown that SIDS affected babies who were overheated during sleep.
My baby sleeps at 18C. Back in Europe when I grew up my parents would even open the window in the winter time. It's a lot better to get used to 'cool' bedrooms rather than warm ones.
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"In Hong Kong room temperatures vary significantly…. We all like different temperatures to sleep in and air-conditioning units vary considerably in efficiency. Living in Hong Kong and following for example the UK guidelines of having the room at 16 -20 degrees would be a challenge to most air-conditioners not to mention your pocket. In hotter countries sensible advice would be to let your baby get used to your environment and keep an eye that they are not overheating. If you have the air conditioner on try to arrange the cot under it so your baby does not receive the full blast of cold air. Look at yourself and dress your baby accordingly, so you are dressing them for the room environment. Comfortably warm.
The best way to assess a babies temperature is to feel their chests or backs. Hands and faces can be misleading. Babies who are sweating and red in the face are probaby too hot.
The exact cause of SIDS or cotdealth is still not known but the collective recommendations for prevention significantly reduce the risks of it happening so as well as keeping a close eye on your babies temperature you should:-
1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side
2. Sleep baby with face uncovered (no duvets, pillows, lambs wool, bumpers or soft toys)
3. Avoid exposing babies to tobacco smoke before birth and after
4. Provide a safe sleeping environment (safe cot, safe mattress, safe bedding)
5. Sleep baby in its own safe sleeping environment next to the parent’s bed for the first six to twelve months of life"
Useful web sites
http://www.sidsandkids.org/index.html
and
http://www.fsid.org.uk/reduce-risk.html
Well Baby Clinic - 2849 1500
Matilda International Hospital
Hong Kong
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My 28 month old son sleeps in 24C a/c with thin long sleeve pjs. It is a chore to make sure the blanket is on all night as he keeps changing positions! So both of us take turns waking to check on the blanket.
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"It is a chore to make sure the blanket is on all night as he keeps changing positions! So both of us take turns waking to check on the blanket."
That's nice of you but isn't it a bit overkill? While our kids will throw the blanket off, we don't get up unless they make noise. They're not going to be damaged in 24-25 degrees with pajamas. They might feel cold but they'll live.
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"It is a chore to make sure the blanket is on all night as he keeps changing positions! So both of us take turns waking to check on the blanket."
Why not get the sleeping bags (you can get as thin as 0.5 tog and as big as up to 6 yrs old) - that will solve the blanket throwing off problem and you can finally get some sleep. even if you put his blanket back on, he will throw it off in what 5, 10 min?
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Good idea ldsllvn, will try that. He used to sleep in an infant sized one, but then he couldn't really move around much before. Now he pretty much sleeps in all sorts of positions and turning around everywhere.
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"(2) hubby likes it warm. he sleeps with long sleeves and a thick duvet to battle the cold that i like."
I bet he still sleeps well because of the cold air.
"if the kids aren't waking up at night and sleeping through, why would you change it???"
That is a very good point. ;)
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We must be long lost sisters cara! I love sleeping in an arctic room because of migraines and in tshirt and undies. My husband sleeps with a blanket and doona, huddled in the foetal position! I set my 5 year olds aircon on 24-25 and she wears singlet and undies but always throws off her blanket. I have tweaked the aircon up and down and that temperature works best for her.
If i have to get up to my baby during the night, i will also check my 5yr old and cover her with a sheet and waffle blanket, but i know i could go back in 5 minutes and she would have kicked it all off again, so I just dont' really worry now, she will wake if she is too cold or too hot. But she sleeps like a log.
During the day my baby will sleep in 21 deg with singlet and 1.0 tog grobag, and now at night after reading this thread I have started putting the aircon at 22 during the night. I woudl put it at 21 except the aircon fluctuates so much, one minute it's freezing cold and the next it's boiling hot. I just can't work it out here.
When we lived in Aust all our windows were open 24/7 even through winter, oh how i miss that!!
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I'm thinking that is maybe a tad too cold even for me! In Aust it only got down to maybe 3 deg cel. There is nothing better though feeling the fresh air on your face. i always woke up feeling more refreshed and not with a foggy head.
Bring on Christmas back home!! Even with the stinking summer days at least we know there will be a southerly buster on the way to cool things down.
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Yes, the southerly winds at night were the best. I suppose you could also get them in HK if you can afford a place in Repulse Bay or Tai Tam. I also grew up in Oz and kept the window open all night. I feel sorry for all these lil ones in HK who have to sleep in aircon for 5mths in the year. Another reason to go home!
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"Yes, the southerly winds at night were the best. I suppose you could also get them in HK if you can afford a place in Repulse Bay or Tai Tam."
So save your money. ;) Opening the south facing windows here in Repulse Bay is just too hot in summer. The winds tend to be weak and hot most of the time.
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yes i love sleeping with the windows open and miss that too!!! but here we have to wait till winter is in full swing before we can do that for fear of the dreaded mosquitoes. we are on a low floor and why hasn't anyone in hong kong heard of screen doors and windows?????
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I have seen plenty of screen doors and windows around. There are several firms that do the work for a good price.
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