Bek
As it is getting cold in NSW I am concerned about keeping baby warm enough in the room. We only sleep him in his cot with tog rated onsie and tog rated sleeping bag. We have been using the 0.2 tog onesie plus a 3.5tog sleeping bag, the room temp was 15 degrees Celsius last night at its lowest and 17 at the highest. I do not want to heat the room as I am aware of the risks in doing so. My question is, I woke this morning and babies hands and arms were extremely cold to touch, how do I keep his hands warm ? Is it safe to have hands covered ?
Red Nose Education
While it is ok to cover hands on baby, it is not unusual for baby’s feet & hands to feel cold. (see below)
Ensure whatever you cover hands with cannot come loose & become a risk for baby to choke on.
Some babies like to suck their fingers or touch their face when settling/sleeping.
Guidelines for dressing baby are very general, as babies are different.
Red Nose does not recommend dressing baby according to specific room temperature.
Overheating can be a risk for babies (as well as hypothermia)
Babies regulate their body temperature via their head & face, so it is important, even during colder nights that baby’s head & face remain uncovered.
If baby is waking & you are concerned that they may be cold (feeling back/tummy) then you can add another layer of clothing/bedding but still keep head & face uncovered.
Dress baby for sleep and add/remove lightweight blankets to ensure baby’s back or tummy feels comfortably warm to the touch.
https://rednose.org.au/article/bedding-amount-recommended-for-safe-sleep
Babies control their temperature predominantly through their head and face. This is why we recommend that you put baby to sleep on their back with head and face uncovered.
Red Nose does not recommend a specific room temperature for baby’s sleep. This is because there is no evidence to show that maintaining a specific room temperature prevents sudden infant death.
As long as baby is put down to sleep on their back, and that baby is dressed appropriately for the room temperature – not overdressed or under dressed – with their head and face uncovered, you can feel reassured that you are protecting baby from overheating.
https://rednose.org.au/article/how-to-dress-baby-for-sleep
It is not necessary to monitor the room temperature or to leave the heating or cooling on all night, as long as the baby is dressed appropriately for the room temperature: Dress baby as you would dress yourself – comfortably warm, not hot or cold. A good way to check baby’s temperature is to feel the baby’s back or tummy, which should feel warm (don’t worry if baby’s hands and feet feel cool, this is normal).
https://rednose.org.au/article/protecting-baby-from-overheating-during-sleep