How Do I know If My Baby Is Too Hot While Sleeping
Typically, a baby’s temperature should be between 97 – 100.3 degrees Celsius. When a baby runs a temperature suddenly while sleeping at night or during the day, it usually causes concern and becomes worrisome for the mother or caregiver, especially when they do not know the root cause or what to do. And you get to ask yourself How Do I Know If My Baby Is Too Hot While Sleeping?
When your baby runs temperature, in many cases, it could be an illness, and also, in many cases, it could be that your baby is just hot because of some environmental factors.
Sometimes, when our babies are feeling hot or running at a slight temperature while sleeping, we might be oblivious to it. But the truth is that they show signs of inconvenience. So, you ask, how do I my if my baby is too hot while sleeping?
In this article, we will be focused on environmental factors. We would be discovering what causes a baby to feel hot and run temperature while sleeping, the signs and tips on how to remedy the situation whenever it happens. Who is ready? Come along!
What causes a Baby to run temperature while sleeping
1. Hot room temperature
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This is the most common cause of a hot body temperature in babies, especially when asleep. Because babies’ bodies are super sensitive and are not yet built to withstand harsh temperatures, they must ensure that they sleep in an airy room.
A room that is stuffy or is above 20 to 22 degrees. Celsius can cause discomfort to the baby, hence, leading to a sudden spike in temperature.
2. Teething
One of the common reasons why babies’ temperatures spike while sleeping is because they might be teething. The growing new set of teeth that comes with might come with some discomfort for your baby.
Parents should, however, take cognisance of the fact that teething does not cause a high-level fever. A high-level fever is measured 100.4 F and above, which indicates some other happenings in the baby’s body, like an infection of an illness in which you need to take the baby to the clinic.
It is also important to note that if your baby is teething. He or she would have shown some noticeable signs during the day like chewing on toys, biting fingers, constantly biting the nipples, drooling, gum inflammation, and gum rubbing, to mention a few.
This slight teething fever is supposed to last for only at least two days before the teeth pop out and a few days after.
3. Sleeping in one position for an extended period
Do you know that when your baby is in an uncomfortable sleeping position, the discomfort can lead to a rise in temperature, making the body hot? When your baby might have been sleeping in the same position and becoming uncomfortable with it because they are stressing a particular part of the body, your baby might not be able to change style and is invariably stuck.
The pain and stress would be one of the ways a baby can express discomfort when in an uncomfortable situation is to either wake and cry or notice through a high body temperature. This might also be accompanied by slight sweating.
The best thing to do is to change the baby’s sleeping position gently.
Take notice if your baby is placing its weight on a particular part of the body. Stretch out the arms and place the neck in a comfortable position.
4. Bundling or overdressing
Parents should avoid over-dressing or bundling them to sleep for babies, especially those below 3 months and young toddlers. A baby can run at a high temperature because of this.
When a baby is put to sleep, they should be clothed in very minimal and light clothing if they are to wear clothes.
Sleeping with only diapers is sometimes advisable for babies and young toddlers, especially when the weather is warm or hot.
According to Healthline, it is said that a baby should be underdressed than to be overdressed. One of the results of overdressing or bundling a baby, especially those below 12 months, is overheating, leading to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Instead, dress your baby up in fleece clothing or slightly thick pyjamas when the weather is cold. The takeaway is to ensure that you do not swaddle a baby to sleep, as this is one of the most typical causes of fever at night.
5. Reaction to immunisation/vaccine
When a baby takes a shot of immunisation, because the body received a foreign content and is a straightforward system, the baby tends to react to it. But, on the other hand, the baby might still be hurting from the pain of the injection insertion.
Usually, after taking the immunisation, the baby tends to sleep off after crying, and when it is night again, the baby’s temperature might spike again. This is normal and common. Parents are usually dissuaded from giving the baby any medication because it is just meant to last for 24 hours, and it will be gone.
However, in a situation where the baby’s body temperature is still high after 24 hours to 3 days, that baby should immediately be rushed to the hospital.
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How do I know if my Baby is too hot while sleeping
1. Sweating profusely
One common sign to discover that your baby is too hot while sleeping is that they begin to sweat profusely. Sweating while sleeping is normal, depending on an individual’s skin type. The same applies to our newborns, but when you notice that the sweating becomes unusual, your baby should be checked because she is uncomfortable.
2. Red/Flushed skin
Another sign to find out that your baby is too hot while sleeping is that your baby’s skin, especially the head, would suddenly become red or pink. This color change happens during the sleeping period. This way, your baby is communicating some inconvenience, and the causative factor should be immediately identified. If your baby’s skin remains flushed after identifying the factors and making the necessary adjustments, then call a doctor.
3. Grunting
When your baby’s body is hot while sleeping, they might communicate it by sudden and excessive grunting. Grunting while sleeping Is something babies do while sleeping, as well as snoring.
Sometimes, when your baby starts grunting, especially when they have never done so before, it is important to ensure that the factors mentioned above are not responsible for it. For example, if your baby grunts normally while sleeping and suddenly does it more rapidly, it might be because their body is hot.
4. Crying
Abruptly waking and crying may result from your baby responding to a hot body temperature while sleeping. Babies are expressive. They express themselves through their cries which might be an indicator of something being off.
Tips on what to do when your baby is too hot while sleeping
Let your baby sleep in an airy room
When your baby is hot while sleeping, do well to ensure that the room is not stuffy. Open the windows and let the natural air refresh your baby. If the weather is hot, then switch on the fan and place it at the lowest level.
Adjust sleeping position
If your baby is running a temperature because of an uncomfortable sleeping position or because they are resting on one particular part of the body, then do well to adjust the baby’s sleeping position to ease the discomfort.
Let your baby sleep light
When your baby is comfortable, you automatically become comfortable as a mother. When you discover that your baby is running a temperature because of bundling or overdressing, tackle the issue by helping your baby sleep light.
In very hot weather or a room with a high temperature, make sure that your baby is dressed in light, breathable cotton pyjamas.
Give your baby a bath
Even as adults, when our temperature is unusually high, we are advised to take a warm bath to help reduce the overall body temperature. Giving your baby a warm bath when they have a fever does an immediate cooling effect at first.
Parents are advised to give the baby a gentle sponge bath with only warm water at room temperature, not hot water or cold water.
Conclusion
When a baby is hot at night, it is usually an indicator of many things; the body is undoubtedly trying to communicate something. We have successfully looked into the common signs that help mothers know if their babies are too hot while sleeping. There are sure signs your baby would show and even signs that their body would give away when they are hot while sleeping. As a mom with a newborn or young toddler, it is crucial to be observant to ensure comfortable and healthy.