Your Baby and Night Sweats

Let’s face it, parents: some babies are just sweaty babies. You put them to bed at night in a nice, dry onesie, and by the time they wake up to be fed they’re soaked – and not from just a leaky diaper. They’ve produced more sweat than you could imagine that such a small baby would.

Why is it that babies sweat so much? Well, babies spend more time than adults in the deepest kind of sleep. During this kind of sleep, they’re likely to sweat most profusely. This means, then, that babies are more likely than adults or older kids to sweat in their sleep.

So, we’ve established that sweating at night is common. However, while that may be true, excessive sweating at night could mean some sort of problem for your baby. Excessive night sweats can be indicative of a congenital heart disease. It may mean that your baby is experiencing one form or another of sleep apnea. He’s literally working up a sweat from trying so hard to breathe.

There are some reasons to be concerned about excessive night sweats. Overheating is one of those concerns. Overheating can be a factor in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). You need to watch out for overheating.

You should do a few things to help your baby at night. You’ll want to make sure that you dress your baby in comfortable clothes that she can sleep in without covers. You might even resist that temptation to keep her bundled up. Keep things like comforters, quilts and blankets out of the crib. You’ll want to make sure your baby’s room is at a comfortable temperature, usually between 60 and 70 degrees.

Finally, keep in mind that if you’re too hot, so is your baby. If your house is cool and your baby is dressed lightly but still sweating, you should talk with your baby’s doctor.