Hot Baby!

Updated on June 30, 2012
H.P. asks from Elsa, TX
10 answers

My 17mo is a hot box, meaning that he gets warm very easily and sweats. (His father is the same way, just warm to the touch all the time.) He sleeps with the fan on him; whatever side of his body is on the pillow gets sweaty--no matter how cool the room is-- so when he turns, the fan hits it, and he gets chilly. At least, I think that it's chilly, so I cover him with something light, like his linen blanket. He sleeps uncovered in thin/light onesies, as opposed to the thicker ones that he might wear during the day.

My question: How do you balance the (room) temperature for your little hot boxes? Keeping the room/house cool can be harmful if he's gonna sweat, anyway. Currently, he has a slight cold, so I've been doing other things to help him feel fine through those symptoms. I'm still stuck, though, on balancing the room temperature and his body temperature.

My question: How do you balance the (room) temperature for your little hot boxes?

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So What Happened?

Christy, I understand the biology of it. However, I am not going to get up and turn off the fan every time he turns over. Therefore, I block the air from hitting him directly untill he dries.

Thanks, 30s--he's normally in the middle, so I know that that contributes. We point the fan directly at him. Last night he slept on the outside. The rest of his body can be nice and cool; whatever part of him is on the pillow is always HOT, no matter which pillow we use. It's the same in his carseat. The only time that one side of him is not particularly warm is when he is sitting straight up (or standing, of course).

ETA: He wakes up when he sweats. I only cover/block him when his sweaty side is exposed directly to the fan. I don't want the fan hitting him directly while he is so wet, but I leave him exposed to cool off. I keep his feet out and either block the direct airflow with my cover or drape the very thin lined blanket over his chest or back until he dries.

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K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

My oldest nephew (who was also the 1st kid in the family) was a little sweat ball! He would leave the biggest sweat circle on the pillow, it freaked us out at first!

When he would stay the night and sleep with me, I would keep the ceiling fan on the lowest setting and dress him in the lightest one piece PJ's I could find.

Does he sleep with you or in his own bed?

If he sleeps with you, I would say that being in the middle between you and his Dad probably insulates him pretty well and you can leave the fan on but dress him in something light...

...but if he sleeps in his own room, I would think the fan isn't necessary and let him sleep in just his diaper and a onesie or a t-shirt.

For the most part my nephew was not effected by all his sweating at all...he would just sleep right through it! Do the chills he is having wake him up? Or do you just think he 'looks' uncomfortable? I know I messed with my nephew trying to make him comfortable when in reality he was just fine...he just looked uncomfortable to me...ya know what I mean?

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I don't know that I would point the fan at him more so than have the fan work above him. Does that make sense?

Ex. we have a hip high bookcase next to the bed (converted from a crib). If I place a fan there, it will blow right on my child and make whichever side is facing it cold.

we have a taller bureau on the other side of the bed / crib. If I place the fan there, directed towards the bed, the air will cool above and fall down making a more even area of coolness. Sort of like having a fake ceiling fan.

Also, if you have a fan that is turns or moves from side to side, pointed towards the middle of the bed it will help keep the overall area cooler.

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

have you taken his temp. if its normal then light weight clothes, a celing fan, cotton sheets, (careful of the mattress liner it could be holding the heat), and a box fan that blows air around not set directly at your baby. Dont use flannel sheets and I would take the big pillow out and let him have a small pillow like a travel sized pillow pet. seems to me that feather pillows hold heat more than the cotton pillow would. i dont really care for feather pillows though!

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J.M.

answers from Missoula on

My DD is the same way. I actually put her in bed with NO pajamas on. Just a diaper, and a lightweight blanket. I also have a fan that turns back and forth, so it's not constantly blowing on her. The sweat dries faster off her skin than it does out of her pajamas, and without the fan blowing on her constantly she doesn't get chills.

Unfortunately, we don't have an AC to cool off her room, (we live in Tn, and only have a window-AC in the living room...) so that is the best we can do.

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L.S.

answers from Little Rock on

My husband and son are exactly like that. Does your fan have multiple settings on it? This helps some with distributing the air in the room. Sounds like the clothing piece is covered. Good luck!

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S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

My son is like this (he is almost three) to make matters worse he insists on sleeping with a flannel blaket wrapped around him. When I go in at night to check on his he is usually soaked in sweat, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Unless it is keeping your son awake I wouldn't worry about it. I worry more about my 5mnths who will not sleep unless she is swaddled (its 100 degrees and we don't have AC in the bedrooms!) because i know if she gets overheated she could get apenea that can lead to SIDS.

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J.T.

answers from College Station on

My youngest is a little fireball, too! Always has been since birth. He never wears PJs, just sleeps in his tighty whities. He would sleep naked, but I won't let him. He shares a room with his brother, who is NOT a little fireball. He usually just sleeps with a sheet and we add a blanket in the winter. On especially cold nights (rare), I make him wear a t -shirt.

I wouldn't worry too much about ambient temperature. Since he is a little hottie, I would just keep it comfortable for you. He is sweating because he is hot, there is no harm in that. In fact, its more harmful if you keep the room too warm and he can't cool down.

Just leave him be. He will wake up if he is uncomfortable. As he gets older, he will be able to kick the blanket off or add it as he likes.

I think you are obsessing way too much. Just let him be.

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K.H.

answers from Reno on

I freeze during the day and boil at night. I sleep with the fan on and just a cotton sheet-forget the blankets I'm hot enough and sleep better being comfortable to slightly cool.

C.P.

answers from Columbia on

If he is hot, he is sweating TO COOL HIMSELF. When his body is cooled enough, he'll stop sweating. That's how our bodies work.

Don't turn up the heat or put more blankets on. Let his body do its job and regulate itself. He'll be fine.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

$50 window air conditioner.

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