A paediatrician has highlighted three signs that could indicate your baby is cold at night, as the UK braces for miserable weather. Dr Golly, a paediatrician and baby sleep expert, shared the signs with his 646,000 Instagram followers.
He said: "If your baby is sleeping like this, their bottom in the air, their knees tucked in, hands hiding under their body, they might be cold. This is a reminder to check overnight room temperatures."
What to look out for
The doctor, known as Daniel Golshevsky, is a Melbourne-based paediatrician and author who specialises in infant sleep settling. He said it's crucial to look out for those three signs as many parents might overlook them and think their little ones are just "cosy".
In the caption, he continued: "If you're wondering whether your baby is warm enough overnight: Check the room temperature. Review their sleepwear and layers. Choose a sleeping bag with an appropriate TOG rating. Remember, hands and feet can naturally feel cool, so check your baby's chest or back to get a better idea of how warm they are."
How to keep your baby warm safely
To keep your baby safe and warm at night, you must maintain the nursery room temperature between 16°C and 20°C, as well as dressing them in wearable layers like a sleep sack.
Use a room thermometer to keep the space between 16°C and 20°C. Avoid placing the cot next to radiators, fires or direct heat sources. Use a baby sleeping bag or sleep sack fitted by weight rather than age, which provides warmth without loose fabric that could cover the face.
Never use heavy quilts, duvets, pillows, cot bumpers or stuffed animals in the sleep space for the first year, as they could increase the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). To check your baby's body temperature, feel their chest or the back of their neck instead of the hands or feet.
Another sign to indicate they're cold could also be a tense posture. While sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks or rapid breathing can be signs they're overheated. Overheating is closely linked to SIDS, so it is safer for a baby to be slightly cool than too hot.
