How to Get Children to Sleep in Hot Weather ☀️🌙
- Orsolya Majoros
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
The last few weeks have brought us some glorious sunshine—but also temperatures that have left many of us wondering whether sleeping is even possible! 🥵 If you've found yourself turning your pillow over every five minutes, moving the fan a little closer, sleeping with one leg outside the duvet (because somehow that always helps!), or contemplating spending the night in the fridge, you're certainly not alone. And if we're struggling, imagine how our little ones must feel!
Hot weather can make it difficult for even the best sleepers to settle. Young children's bodies are still developing, and unlike adults, they are not yet able to regulate their body temperature as efficiently. This means they can become uncomfortable much more quickly, making bedtime feel like even more of a challenge.
Fortunately, after careful observation of our resident experts (the children, of course! 😉), we've discovered the ultimate guide to surviving a British heatwave...
😎 Fun Box's Totally Scientific Guide to Surviving a Heatwave
(Results based on extensive research, many hours of observation, and one particularly warm week in the garden...)
🏕️ Upgrade to luxury accommodation
When the weather gets hot, every respectable explorer knows there's only one thing to do—build a shady den! Whether it's under the garden table, inside a pop-up tent or hidden beneath a carefully engineered blanket fort, our children have shown us that everything feels cooler when it has a roof and a little imagination.
💦 If in doubt... just add water!
Scientists might call it hydrotherapy. We call it splashing absolutely everything within reach!
Whether it's paddling, pouring, washing dolls, filling buckets or creating puddles where puddles didn't previously exist, water play is one of the simplest (and most enjoyable) ways to cool down after a hot day.
The only downside? Grown-ups have an uncanny habit of getting wet too... completely by accident, of course! 😄
🍉 Fine dining is highly recommended
Our panel of experts unanimously agreed that hot weather calls for juicy watermelon, refreshing drinks and the occasional ice cream. 🍉🍦 Who are we to argue? Not only are many summer fruits delicious, but they also contain plenty of water, helping everyone stay hydrated during warmer weather.
📖 Relocate your office
When the temperature starts climbing, perhaps the washing can wait. Find the coolest corner of the house, grab a good book, enjoy a cuddle and postpone all non-essential meetings until September. One of our little readers demonstrated this perfectly by finding the shadiest spot in the garden and settling down with a story. We think he might be onto something.
🛁 Book yourself into the spa
Few things feel nicer after a hot day than a cool bath. Whether you're washing yourself... or your entire doll collection... is entirely up to you. 😉
⛵ Take a luxury cruise
If someone offers you a boat trip... Accept immediately. No further explanation required.
❤️ Most importantly... slow down
Perhaps this is the biggest lesson children teach us every summer: When it's hot, they don't try to carry on exactly as normal. They naturally seek shade. They stop for a drink. They choose quieter activities. They rest when they need to. Maybe, just maybe, we adults could learn something from them too.
🌙 Joking aside... let's talk about bedtime - How to Get Children to Sleep in Hot Weather
As much as we've enjoyed watching our little experts find creative ways to stay cool, bedtime is one time when we need to swap jokes for evidence-based advice. Babies and young children are much more vulnerable to overheating than adults. Their bodies are still learning how to regulate temperature efficiently, which is why keeping them cool—and more importantly, sleeping safely—is especially important during warm weather.
As early years professionals, we follow the safer sleep guidance recommended by the Department for Education (DfE) and The Lullaby Trust. Here are some of their key recommendations:
🛏️ Always place your baby on their back to sleep. This remains the safest sleeping position, even during hot weather.
🧸 Keep the cot clear. A firm, flat mattress is all your baby needs. Avoid pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, soft toys and loose blankets.
🌡️ Try to keep the room comfortably cool. The ideal room temperature is between 16°C and 20°C, although organisations such as The Lullaby Trust recognise that this may not always be achievable during a heatwave. Focus on preventing your baby from becoming too hot, rather than trying to reach a perfect number.
👕 Dress your baby for the temperature, not the season. Lightweight cotton clothing and fewer layers are usually best. Lower tog sleeping bags may be suitable, while on exceptionally hot nights a nappy or lightweight vest may be all that's needed.
🎩 No hats indoors. Babies lose excess heat through their heads, so hats should always be removed before sleeping.
🤲 Check your baby's chest or the back of their neck. Hands and feet often feel cooler and are not a reliable way to judge body temperature.
💨 Fans can help, but they should circulate the air rather than blow directly onto your baby. Closing curtains during the day and opening windows when it's cooler outside can also help reduce indoor temperatures.
🥤 Keep everyone hydrated. Babies may want to feed more frequently during hot weather, while older children should be encouraged to drink little and often throughout the day.
If you would like to read the full guidance, we highly recommend the excellent resources produced by The Lullaby Trust, the Department for Education, NCT, Pregnancy, Birth & Baby, and the British Red Cross, all of which provide practical, evidence-based advice for keeping babies and young children safe during hot weather.
☀️ One final thought...
Summer memories aren't usually made because everything went perfectly.
They're made splashing in paddling pools, eating sticky slices of watermelon, building wonky dens in the garden and staying up just a little later because it's still light outside. So if bedtime takes a little longer during a heatwave, be kind to yourself. 😊 Keep your little one cool, follow the trusted safer sleep guidance, and remember—before long, we'll all be wondering where the sunshine went!