My daughter has always been a good sleeper. In fact, just the other day I was commenting to friends how brilliant she was at going straight to sleep when put in her cot. But, as is the case with children, once you think you’ve cracked it, something else comes along. Now, we have a heatwave, she has trouble sleeping and I am finding it hard to keep her cool!
The other day she was so upset and overtired we resorted to taking her out in the pram – somehow ending up at the pub- don’t know how that happened but it worked! By the time we had got to the end of the road she had dropped off to sleep. We have since set her travel cot up in our spare room which doesn’t get so much sun during the day and is a lot cooler.
Although fuelled by the heat, there is another factor which is hindering her sleep – her new found ability to move. She is not yet crawling forward but her latest thing once in her cot is to shuffle around from one end of it to the other. One minute she is on her side rattling the bars of the cot, the next she is lying on her stomach in the yoga position ‘child pose’, suddenly she is sitting upright, one of her legs dangling down the bars of the cot, smiling and looking around at her.
Also, last time I blogged, I was raving about how her front tooth came through no trouble at all. Well, again, I spoke too soon. Now the second front tooth has come through and appears to have brought a fever, clingyness and whining. Cue Iberprofen, Calpol, teething gel and powder!
But what about the heat? Here are some of my tips for helping to keep your children (and you) cool during the heatwave.
1. Paddling pool (this is mainly for the kids) – put them in an UV50 wetsuit to give extra protection from the sun – then high factor sun cream on exposed areas.
2. Wet flannel (put in freezer/fridge for full effect) and dab on back of neck, wrists, knees and feet or place wrists under a running tap.
3. Fans at night time (blowing upwards as the cooler air is at floor level).
4. Hand held fan or battery powered fan when out and about.
5. If you/children usually sleep in loft room try sleeping on a lower floor level which will be cooler.
6. Open windows and doors if outside is cooler than inside.
7. Shut curtains if windows get a lot of the sun during the day open until the sun has passed by.
8. Sit in shady areas when outside
9. Set up your child’s play area in the coolest part of the house.
10. Avoid going outside when the sun is at it highest and hottest (between 11-3pm)
11. Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment which can give off unwanted heat
12. Don’t overdress your children – wear clothing made from natural, breathable materials like cotton and linen.
13. Drink lots of water.
