Worried about how to keep baby’s hands warm at night? Little ones can get chilly hands, especially in winter.
It’s understandable you may wonder if this is a problem, after all cold hands don’t feel nice when it happens to you as an adult and you may worry it means your baby is losing heat.
First of all it’s important to say that it is totally normal for babies to have cold hands.
And cold hands don’t necessarily mean your baby is cold all over – if they are dressed appropriately for sleep then you can be reassured they’re comfy. Especially if they are snoozing happily.
If you’re still worried then we’re going to talk about the best ways to keep a baby’s hands snug without compromising on safe sleep best practices.
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Best way to keep baby’s hands warm at night (without a swaddle)
The absolute best way to keep those cute baby hands snug at night is to put on scratch mitts made of a light cotton fabric or a sleepsuit with scratch mitts built in.
The bodysuit with mitten cuffs are your best option because they fold over from the sleeve, meaning baby cannot pull them off their hands like the separate scratch mitts.
With both of these options you need a breathable cotton fabric that will mean your baby cannot overheat.
You shouldn’t use outdoor mittens – which are likely to be lined and made from heavier, cosy material to combat cold weather.
Should I worry about baby’s cold hands at night?
No you do not need to worry about your baby’s hands feeling cold overnight. You need to be more focused on their core body temperature and whether that is ideal.
The test of whether your baby is warm enough should be how their temperature feels on their chest and back of their neck.
Your baby is too cold if they feel cold to the touch on their chest and/or back. Waking frequently and crying can also be a sign your baby is uncomfortable.
Even when I did cover my baby’s hands with scratch mitts, in winter my baby’s hands would still feel a little cool to touch when I picked them up for a night feed.
Why do baby’s hands get cold at night?
It is very normal for babies to get cold hands, particularly overnight, because they have an immature circulation system.
This means they cannot regulate their temperature in quite the same way as adults do.
There are a few other reasons why their hands can feel cold to the touch at nighttime.
For a start in order to follow safe sleep guidance babies need to sleep with blankets tucked under their armpits, or in a baby sleep sack that covers the body and legs and keeps arms free.
In the early months you may choose to swaddle your baby, but you should stop swaddling at two months, according to advice from experts and the American Association of Paediatricians.
But maybe you chose not to swaddle, or your baby is now too old to swaddle, and their hands are uncovered at night.
Either way, safer sleep guidance means baby’s hands shouldn’t be wrapped up under a duvet.
How to keep baby’s hands warm overnight
Here are a few additional tips for keeping baby’s hands warm at night:
Control nursery temperature
The ideal temperature for baby’s nursery is 16C to 20C (60F to 68F).
By monitoring the temperature in your baby’s room you can keep it to this temperature using your home’s central heating.
The GroEgg is a really great option for monitoring the temperature in baby’s room. It glows blue when the room has dipped below the ideal temperature, and red when it goes above the ideal temperature.
It also doubles as a night light!
Dress baby appropriately
Rather than focusing on your baby’s hands, which likely won’t bother them, focus on their core when dressing them for sleep.
Using a nursery thermometer, as recommended in the previous point, you can dress them based on what the temperature of the room is.
With my babies I would follow this dressing baby for sleep guidance as illustrated here.
During winter I preferred to use baby sleeping bags, or sleep sacks, with a vest and a sleepsuit on my baby to keep them cosy.
By doing this you can rest assured that your baby is being kept comfortable.
Final thoughts
I hope this has reassured you about your baby’s comfort at night and that you can now focus on dressing them in the right clothes overall to keep them cosy.
You may also find these baby sleep articles useful:
What is the eat play sleep routine
Best baby sleep schedules by age
