With the warmer weather and brighter mornings upon us, sleep can go a little sideways. It may mean that you need to make changes to your child’s bedroom so that bright mornings aren’t supporting early rising (might be time to introduce a toddler clock) and that rooms are cool enough at night to sleep the whole night through.
It is worth it to take the time to evaluate both light and temperature in everyone’s sleep environment to ensure that seasonal factors aren’t having a negative impact on sleep. It’s amazing how these subtle change can significantly impact sleep, rarely in a positive way!
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Tips for keeping sleep on track during warmer months
- Be mindful of the temperature in your little one’s room, for both day and night sleep.
- The ideal temperature for baby sleep, child and adult sleep is one that is comfortably cool (between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Use black-out blinds/shades, they aren’t just for providing a darkened sleeping space.
- By keeping these drawn during the hotter times of the day, their dual-purpose is blocking out the sun’s rays. Doing this can favourably impact the temperature in the bedroom by keeping it much cooler.
- Before installing/hanging, be sure that you have left a generous overlap of the shades/drapes that extends beyond the upper, side and lower edges of the window. The early morning sun tends to find it’s way into the room otherwise.
- Consider natural fibers for sleep sacs, pyjamas and bedding.
- Natural fabrics, such as bamboo, offer a lightweight and more breathable alternative to traditional synthetic fabrics.
- Ensure that the weight/material of your little one’s sleep sac, pyjamas and onesies are seasonally appropriate.
- Be mindful of the Tog weight (indicates warmth rating) of sleep sacs and always err on being lighter and layering underclothes appropriately, rather than using a sleep sac that is rated too warm for the conditions.
- Use a fan for both white noise and improving air flow
- If your little one’s room becomes quite warm during the day or overnight, consider using a fan that is pointed on an angle towards the ceiling.
- This will help to increase the air flow within the room, as well as creating additional white noise to help block out the sounds of summer construction, lawnmowers and other summer sounds that seem to intrude only at naptime!
In order to keep your family’s sleep on track during warmer months, give some of our tips a try. A quick “wellness check” to be sure that you are doing everything that you can to keep them comfortable, cool and sleeping can make a big difference!
Written by Good Night Sleep Site Consultant.
Good Night Sleep Site provides free child and family sleep support through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to join our sleep community as we work towards Good Night Sleep Site’s mission of a healthier rested family unit. For more sleep tips, subscribe to our newsletter and visit Good Night Sleep Site.
