Brrrrrrrrrr!!! How Do I Know If She's Cold at Night?

I've always dressed my daughter in the blanket pj's the kind with the feet. I put an under shirt on her and then the pj's. On really cold nights I layer regular cotton pj's then put the blanket pj's on.

Not a stupid question at all - I did the same thing. I worried about making them too hot. We put ours (twins) in long pjs that are fitted, not loose. Then, we cover them up if they want covers. They wimper sometimes and I go in and cover them back up. If your daughter only wimpers and doesn't wake up she is not cold enough to wake up. I wouldn't turn up the heat, I would adjust with covers first. When my two were your daughter's age they would wake if they got too cold. My daughter always kicks off her covers so I know to check her sometimes. Honestly, I think at this age she will let you know by waking up or wimpering.

Glad to know someone worried about this as much as I did. :)
S.

PJs with feet are a good bet to keep her warm. My daughter will never keep covers on either, and both kids refuse to wear socks. As long as your A/C/heat is set at a reasonable temp, she's not going to get too cold. Also, it depends on her nature too. My daughter is hot natured and will sleep in a tank top and shorts in the dead of winter. My son sleeps in footed PJs under 5 blankets.

I wouldn't turn the heat up, because that might make her too hot. I usually check on the kids when I'm going to bed and replace their covers or add a blanket if I think it's necessary.

As far as whimpering in her sleep, it likely has nothing to do with the temperature. Both of mine have lighter phases of sleep a couple times a night where they'll whimper or even yell. From what I've read, this is part of the normal sleep cycle. They're not awake, it's just a more "active" sleep period. Not sure how late you're up after she's asleep, but I notice the whimpers happen at about the same time every night. It's like 11 or midnight (I hear this one often), then again around 2 or 3am (I'm only privy to this one during those late night scrapbooking frenzies!)

LOL...my dad's a pediatrician and I've asked alot of doctors this same question....it seems liek they are so small that they would get colder than us...but all the doctors say the same thing...the baby regulates his/her temperature just like adults and not to add anything extra that you wouldnt wear UNLESS you feel the baby's extremeties are cold..then you might add something light.

Hi T.,
I am a mother of 5 (the last being twins) and the grandmother of 3. They are my pride and joy, too! I know as a new mother what it is like to worry about them. My doctor gave me the best advise ever. He said most people try to put too many clothes and covers on them. He told me that if it felt cold to you, than it would to your baby. If you were comfortable, more than likely your baby is, too. With the weather getting colder just make sure that you keep your house at a constant temperature. Hope this works for you and your baby is blessed to have such a caring mother. L.

I have an 8 month old and completely feel the same way!! I also have a 3 year old. My advice is to put your baby in a sleep blanket. They are thicker pajamas. You can get them in the sack kind or with legs. At target, in the baby stuff aisles (socks, bottles, bibs, etc), they have them. They are gerber brand. They come in a pack of 2 for about $10. If it a cold night, you may even put socks on her inside the jammies. Something I have always gone by: if your baby is uncomfortable, she'll let ya know... hot or cold. We always keep our house comfortably cool. Even if it is a cool night, we don't heat up the house too much. We always sleep better in a cool house and we don't worry about our babies... they are dressed warmly.

My doctor told me once to check their nose, and if its cold, then she's cold. He said cool hands and feet can be misleading sometimes. But I totally understand... I wonder about if mine are too hot/cold all the time!

I was always wondering the same thing -- and when my kiddo was waking up with cold feet -- boy did I feel bad... I did a few things...

1) put him to bed in sleeper jammies (the thicker fleece kind)...

2) undershirt and socks were a must

3) I bought some thick fleece material and I tucked it horizontally so basically his bottom "sheet" was made of fleece which kept him warm...

4) i made him a blanket... the no sew kind where you layer two piece of fleece together.. once he realized how "special" the blanket was... he started wanting to keep it on.

5) I checked on him at least once a night to make sure he was covered up and tucked in...

My daughter is 10months old. She, like other kids will not keep a blanket on. Lately I have been dressing her in a blanket sleeper. We keep the heater at 68 and it keeps everyone comfortable. Her room does stay a little cooler than ours, but the blanket sleeper seems to help.

Dear T.:
In addition to all the other feedback, I would try to spend a night in her room (assuming she is in a separate room). Sometimes the A/C or heater is not very balanced throughout the house, so while you feel comfy in the master bedroom, the other rooms may be noticably colder or vice versa. You can adjust that yourself with the vents or you may need an A/C guy to come and adjust the throughput at the A/C directly.

Regards,
W.

I agree about not basing it on how their hands or feet feel; I always check our son's chest/belly area to feel how hot/cold he is. He has always been very hot natured & only sleeps in a diaper with a light blanket or afghan blanket on. I always worry that he gets to cold but he will get very cranky if he overheats. My guess is she'll let you know if she is too cold or hot.