7 Ways to Help Your Kids Sleep in the Summer Heat

It can be a challenge to get your children to sleep, even on the best of days – when you find yourself in the midst of summer heat waves, it gets even trickier! That’s where these 7 simple summer sleep tips on making sure that your child gets the best sleep possible come in handy…

Heat can build up in your child’s bedroom during the day that can prevent them from being able to get to sleep at or enjoy a refreshing nap during the afternoon. Try keeping the curtains or blinds drawn in their room at all times in order to create a cool “cave like” feeling when the time comes for slumber. You might also want to leave one or more of the windows cracked open behind the closed blinds or curtains to prevent the room becoming stuffy during the day.

Nothing is worse than trying to sleep when your body is running hot, and this is especially true for kids. Help them to cool their core temp by giving them a cool bath before naps or bedtime – this will keep their boy temperature in a more ideal range for snoozing.

Temperature is a consideration for the bedroom, as well. Pediatricians recommend that children sleep in the more temperate range of 61 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to help them get to sleep and stay that way. You might want to also invest in a nursery thermometer to be able to gauge the room’s temp before laying your kiddos down for naps in the afternoon or bed for the night.

Putting your kids to bed in pajamas can be tempting – they’re super cute and can make little ones feel more comfortable and secure, but they are yet another cause for increasing your child’s core temperature and keeping them from peaceful rest. Consider putting them to bed in just a diaper of underclothes when it’s hot outside.

Any type of bedding that isn’t made with breathable cotton can generate excess heat while your child sleeps – especially when used over waterproof mattress protectors. Encourage a cooling effect by using cotton bedding, and if your little one tends to kick off their sheets when sleeping, try putting them to bed on just a cotton fitted sheet to prevent heat-induced tossing and turning.

Feeling hot can definitely cause your child to become irritable at night, but there is another culprit to consider, as well – dehydration. Make sure that your children drink plenty of water throughout the day, and also give them access to it while they are napping and sleeping. If your baby is being breastfed, you don’t need to worry about adding water to the mix to prevent dehydration, but formula-fed babies can definitely benefit from access to a bottle full of cool drinking water.

When your kiddo is really irritable and unable to settle down, consider soothing them with a cool damp washcloth on the forehead. This has been shown to quickly and easily calm small children, as well as getting their body temp down to an ideal range to encourage sleep.