9 Ways to Keep Baby Cool This Summer

9 Ways to Keep Baby Cool This Summer

Discover how to protect your baby with these hot weather survival tips.

Picture it: It’s a beach day and you’ve managed to wrestle your baby out of the carseat and gotten them all strapped in and situated in the stroller, grabbed all the beach gear from the car, and are just about to hoof it across the sand when you see that both you and baby have sweat through your shirts. Yup, on hot days your baby can feel the heat even more than you do, and it’s important to try every trick in the book to help them stay cool—and safe from the sun.

Keeping your baby comfortable might even ensure they sleep better. In fact, Nanit Lab studied the impact of high temperatures on infant’s sleep, and found that when the heat rose, so did interrupted and fragmented sleep, as well as parental visits during the night. With that in mind, try these tips—during both the day and night—to beat the heat and enjoy the summer

1. Keep them out of the sun

If you’re going to be at the beach or in the park, bring along your own shade in the form of a pop-up tent. It provides UV protection, as well as a buffer from the wind and the ground. (It’s also perfect for keeping your curious baby from munching fistfuls of sand or grass.) Or, if you’re out walking and wearing your baby, you can also bring an umbrella to shade the baby.

2. Track their room temp

When your baby is home, use your Nanit Pro Camera or Sound + Light to track the temperature and humidity settings in your baby’s sleep space, so that you can create a better sleep environment. After all, a comfortable baby is a happy baby who sleeps better—which means so will you.

3. Dress in light layers

Dress your infant in loose-fitting, lightweight garments, preferably made from a natural fiber like cotton or linen, which absorbs perspiration better than synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon.For the outdoors, ensure that you have clothes —or enough shade—so that your baby’s arms and legs aren’t exposed to the sun. At night, opt for a lightweight sleep sack designed to help your baby stay cool, especially if the air conditioning is pumping. The one from Nanit has a custom-designed pattern that works with the Nanit Pro Camera’s patented computer vision technology to safely detect your baby’s breathing motion.

 

 

4. Add a fan for ventilation

Because babies don’t perspire effectively, they can become overheated faster than we do, even when you might not think the temperature is all that oppressive. You can get a little clip-on fan to add to your car seat or stroller bar so when you’re loading them in the car or strolling around they take the breeze with them everywhere.

5. Swap out your baby carrier 

Baby-wearing can be a super-sweaty endeavor when it’s extra hot outside, but sometimes you still need to tote them around on your body. The carrier you use in the winter may be a bit heavy—especially if the fabric is thick. Look for a lightweight material like cotton or bamboo, and one that dries quickly. 

6. Pamper sweaty skin

If you notice red bumps on their neck or groin area or in the creases at their elbows, it may be a heat rash, which is common but relatively harmless. Adding balm to chafing zones can prevent further irritation. To help soothe inflamed skin, give a bath or use a cool washcloth to remove sweat.

7. Help with hydration

Infants typically stay well-hydrated with their usual breastmilk or formula-feeding schedule. In addition, babies older than six months can be offered water to drink on top of milk. While they may not always take it at first, be sure to offer sips regularly. 

8. Cover sensitive spots

A sun hat on a baby isn’t just ridiculously adorable, it will help shade tender heads and ears from harsh rays. And don’t forget about baby’s eyes: these tiny Babiator glasses may be mini but they do a mighty job of protecting your baby’s eyes. 

9. Take to the water

Whether you have access to a sparkling swimming pool, an itty-bitty baby pool, a sprinkler, or just a nice big bathtub, splashes of water always help cool down body temperatures when it’s beastly hot and humid. Since you’ll probably be in the water too, it’s a win-win. Just remember sun protection and a swim diaper, of course.

Nanit is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable content for our readers. Our Parent Confidently articles are crafted by experienced parenting contributors and are firmly rooted in data and research. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content, all articles undergo a rigorous review process by our team of parenting experts. Additionally, our wellness-related content receives further scrutiny from Nanit Lab, our think tank of scientists, engineers, physicians, academic experts, and thought leaders.

Our primary objective is to furnish readers with the most current, trustworthy, and actionable information concerning a host of parenting topics. We strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions by offering comprehensive and respected insights.

In pursuit of transparency and credibility, our articles incorporate credible third-party sources, peer-reviewed studies, and abstracts. These sources are directly linked within the text or provided at the bottom of the articles to grant readers easy access to the source material.

CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Kristy Ojala is Nanit’s Digital Content Director. She spends way too much time looking at maps and weather forecasts and pictures of Devon Rex cats and no-cook dinners. A former sleep champion, she strives to share trustworthy somnabulism tips with other parents—praying for that one fine day when no tiny humans wake her up while it’s still dark out. Her kids highly recommend 3 books, approximately 600 stuffies, Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and the Nanit Sound + Light for bedtime success.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!

Holly Hays is a contributor and writer for Nanit, channeling her years as a mama and former magazine editor to create fun, useful content for fellow busy, trying-to-do-their-best parents and caregivers. Holly has written for a wide range of brands and media outlets (Ergobaby, HGTV, Manhattan Toy Company, OXO), loves to cook and read mystery novels, and leans heavily on her two daughters to keep her up to date on all the latest slang.

Nanit is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable content for our readers. Our Parent Confidently articles are crafted by experienced parenting contributors and are firmly rooted in data and research. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content, all articles undergo a rigorous review process by our team of parenting experts. Additionally, our wellness-related content receives further scrutiny from Nanit Lab, our think tank of scientists, engineers, physicians, academic experts, and thought leaders.

Our primary objective is to furnish readers with the most current, trustworthy, and actionable information concerning a host of parenting topics. We strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions by offering comprehensive and respected insights.

In pursuit of transparency and credibility, our articles incorporate credible third-party sources, peer-reviewed studies, and abstracts. These sources are directly linked within the text or provided at the bottom of the articles to grant readers easy access to the source material.

CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Kristy Ojala is Nanit’s Digital Content Director. She spends way too much time looking at maps and weather forecasts and pictures of Devon Rex cats and no-cook dinners. A former sleep champion, she strives to share trustworthy somnabulism tips with other parents—praying for that one fine day when no tiny humans wake her up while it’s still dark out. Her kids highly recommend 3 books, approximately 600 stuffies, Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and the Nanit Sound + Light for bedtime success.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!