One of the most discomfiting facts about babies is that their bodies are not built to self-regulate temperatures. A temperature equivalent to or above 38°C (or 100.4°F) is considered a fever or overheating, thus increasing the baby’s risk to the sudden-infant-death syndrome. As a result, an effort to keep your baby cool at night is paramount to their overall health and comfort.
Of course, warm baby girl clothes and boys’ outfits go a long way in enhancing optimal baby temperature. However, if babies are not properly dressed, exposure to cold can be uncomforting. Not to mention the uncountable health risks associated with cold.
So, how do you tell if your baby is cold at night? These 5 signs are likely indicators that your baby is having a chilly night.
1. Cold Hands and Feet
Babies lose a lot of heat through uncovered body surfaces, including their hands, feet, and head. Ideally, your baby’s hands and feet should be as equally warm as the rest of the body. Therefore, if their feet or hands feel colder, your baby might have been exposed to cold at night.
You can add an extra layer of boy outfits or baby girl clothes to cover the chilly surfaces.
If your baby’s hat fell off while sleeping, you might want to touch the back of their neck to determine if they are chilly. A chilly head or neck can also indicate your baby is too cold.
2. Stuffy Nose and Sneezing
Sneezing is quite normal among babies, and you do not always have to worry about it. As you might notice, a change in temperature while bathing or changing your baby always comes with some sneezing. This is because the brain’s hypothalamus function, responsible for regulating the baby’s temperature, activates sneezing when temperatures fall.
However, if you notice other signs like coughing and running nose, your child might have a cold.
3. Fussiness
Babies crying all the time is quite normal, as this is their way of communicating their need for care and nurturing. But your baby will cry even more when they are distressed, wet, hungry, and uncomfortable.
So, when in chilly or extremely cold conditions, your child may become fussier. If this happens, add a layer of clothing, mittens, and socks to keep the cold away.
4. Pale Skin
Paleness in babies is often associated with infections, medical conditions, and colds. Therefore, if your baby is feeling cold at night, their skin could become paler than usual.
Again, a cold atmosphere is known for holding less moisture and drying out tender skins.
When this happens, skin-to-skin contact with your baby could help them warm up. Alternatively, you can wrap them with warmer blankets or run the room with a humidifier.
5. Unusual Stillness and Quietness
If your baby suddenly becomes still and quiet, they may be suffering from a severe cold. Lethargic symptoms, such as lack of energy and tiredness, should also point you to a possible cold. At this point, your baby’s body is probably not warming up, and immediate action should be taken to alleviate the cold.
The best thing to do is boost the room’s temperature, get warmer bedding, and layer your baby up with sufficient clothing. You can also go skin-to-skin with your baby or swaddle them for warmth.