Beat The Heat: Sleep, Health and Safety in Hot Weather and Heatwaves
by Heidi Holvoet & Eline Holvoet, MD

Photo by Yan Krukau: mom and baby cooling during heat wave

Let's have a look at how to get the best sleep even in hot weather,

and

how to protect your baby from heat stroke and other hot-weather health impact.

In hot weather, sleeping well is more difficult for most babies and toddlers. There are also health and safety measures that are extra important with rising temperatures.

That's why I've teamed up with Eline Holvoet, MD who's currently researching and building awareness around protecting babies, toddlers, pregnant women and their not yet born babies, against the health impact of hot weather. Dr. Holvoet does this through the WARM Study in collaboration with the HIGH Horizons project.

Dr. Holvoet has published these prevent-and-protect in hot weather tips for every parent in hot weather, and we're happy to share them with you here - easy PDF download right below.

❣️ Please share this page with as many parents and carers as you can: every protection measure counts!

Contact us if you're a professional health carer and want discuss this, or receive high-resolution printable flyers, with permission.

Download the Beat The Heat Tips for Babies

Download the Beat The Heat Tips for During Pregnancy

Get the most sleep when the weather is hot

In line with the health advice above, helping your baby/toddler sleep as well as possible should also focus on keeping cool and hydrating:

Tired baby

Optimal (minimal) clothing and covers for sleep. This is vEry individual so do experiment if you're unsure: some babies love to, and sleep well wearing nothing but a diaper. Others need something more more covering/ and a super light sleep sack (sheet if old enough) to feel cosy enough to sleep well
Hydrate hydrate hydrate. Throughout the day, and may be necessary at night also. Either with extra nursing of bottle feed (even a few sips), or water if your baby is over 6 months old
Cool room temperatures:
- If using a cooling fan (only when under 100°F/40°C) avoid draft on your baby/toddler: many don't liket his and it can disrupt sleep and dehydrate
- Optimize your AC setting to avoid extremely cold temperatures
- If no cooling device like fan or AC: think of having a block of ice in a big container (to catch the water as it melts), close but well out of reach from your baby/toddler
- For naps: if the bedroom gets too hot during the day, consider temporarily doing naps outside in the shade, on the move, or in another, cooler place in the house
To bathe or not to bathe? Have mild-temperature baths if doing bath before bed. Remember that bath before bed is not necessarily helpful for sleep for most.

Sleep skill practice in hot weather / heat waves?

Whether you're weaning from night feeds, practicing self-soothing to sleep, regulating naps, etc.: you can continue during hot weather, but:

Understand that this can be extra difficult for your baby when it's hot. Use this understanding to be lenient enough to keep it fair, and adjust your sleep skill practice as needed.

For example, if currently weaning from night feeds, consider progressing a little more slowly, or even postpone the weaning a few days (if the heatwave is not un-ending) to make it more reasonable.
Another example, one where the heat has the potential to speed up your process: contact sleeping can feel too warm for your baby right now, so this can be an excellent time to start building a little of distance (holding further away as your first steps toward more independent sleep.

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