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Your baby can experience significant temperature changes, especially during the newborn stage. Their tiny hands get colder and you need to protect them from the cold.
The best way to keep your baby’s hands warm at night is to use baby mittens, swaddles, or sleep sacks to maintain their body temperature between 96.8°F and 99.5°F.
This is an ideal body temperature to promote your baby’s immediate and long-term health.
We used various baby items to keep our baby’s hands warm throughout the night and we will share them with you in this article.
The chart above is a guideline only. Always monitor your baby’s temperature and adjust clothing accordingly.
You may have to use a combination of sleepwear to keep your baby comfortable.
Here are some practical tips that worked for us. Follow these tips to keep your baby’s hands warm at night and ensure a restful sleep.
I am only recommending three products because they offer the best warmth for your baby’s hands and you can easily control their body temperature.
This is the simplest and quickest way to keep your baby’s hands warm. They are simple to put on and won’t overheat your baby in case they get too hot.
We personally like baby mittens because besides keeping your baby’s hands warm, they also prevent accidental scratches.
Your baby has little control over their flailing arms and they can scratch themselves with their sharp nails.
It is common for your baby to touch their face while they sleep, so using baby mittens adds a layer of protection.
We like these mittens from Goumikids because you can adjust the velcro strap so they don’t fall off your baby’s hands, and are soft so your baby can safely explore and touch their face.
But keep in mind that your baby could figure out how to take them off, so make sure to supervise them when they sleep so the mittens don’t become a sleep hazard.
From personal experience, baby mittens are great when the weather isn’t too harsh. Your baby can also wear them when you go on a stroll or when it’s a bit chilly outside.
Our next choice is a sleep sack. We prefer sleep sacks because you can control your baby’s body temperature better than a swaddle.
This is also a safer alternative to blankets because blankets can pose suffocation risks and are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Sleep sacks provide warmth and security while allowing your baby to move their legs freely. It’s like a snuggly, wearable cocoon that ensures your baby doesn’t get chilly during the night.
We like these cocoon sleep sacks from ErgoPouch. Out of many we tried, they kept our baby warm during the winter. And it gets very cold where we live with temperatures below freezing.
Putting on this sleep sack is very easy compared to a swaddle. Just place your baby in the sack with their hands across their chest and zip it up.
There are no loose straps or complicated wrapping. Plus your baby won’t be able to wiggle themselves out of it.
You can also open the arm holes on the sleep sack so your baby gets their arms out if their hands get too hot.
Overall, it is a very simple solution to maintain an ideal body temperature.
Sleepsuits, or sleep onesies, are great choices too, but I suggest you get one with a foldable cuff.
These rompers from ErgoPouch have a foldable cuff that easily folds over your baby’s hands to keep them warm.
They also have a foldable leg cuff for better temperature control.
As mentioned previously, babies are great problem solvers and they might figure out how to take off their mittens.
But since the foldable handcuff is attached to the romper, you don’t have to worry about your baby pulling them off.
This is also a good choice if you want to go on an evening walk with your baby. Unlike the cocoon sleep sack, it is easier to strap your baby on the stroller with the sleepsuit on.
In our personal opinion, we would stay away from swaddles mainly because your baby can wiggle themselves out of the swaddle.
This is one of the reasons why we did not swaddle our baby. A swaddle can become a sleep hazard if your baby wiggles out of it.
The AAP actually recommends that you do not use blankets (a swaddle can become a blanket) for the first 12 months.
It is very easy for your baby to cover their face with the swaddle and this can become a suffocation hazard.
But again, this is our personal opinion.
The above are the best solutions if your baby’s hands get cold at night. Here are other ways to create a comfortable sleep environment for your baby.
If the room where your baby sleeps is cooler than what’s recommended, their hands are more likely to feel cold.
Experts recommend that you keep your baby’s room temperature between 68°F to 72°F (20°C to 22°C).
This temperature range is generally comfortable and safe for most babies. You can use a room thermometer to monitor the temperature in your baby’s room.
We like this simple and affordable room thermometer from Amazon. You can also monitor the room’s humidity so your baby sleeps comfortably.
You can also use a ceiling fan if you have one to circulate air evenly throughout the room to improve your baby’s sleep environment.
If you maintain your nursery’s temperature within this range, all you might need are the baby mittens and sleepsuit.
But use the sleep sack or a combination of all three if the temperature drops any lower.
The main reason why your baby’s hands get cold is because of a lack of blood flow to their hands.
Your baby’s circulatory system is still developing and their tiny bodies prioritize keeping their vital organs warm, such as the heart and brain.
But when it gets a bit chilly, less blood flows to their hands and feet, and this is why their hands feel colder to the touch.
This is a natural response to ensure that their core temperature remains stable for optimum health.
Remember that their tiny bodies prioritize warmth for their vital organs, and this keeps their core temperature steady and provides the energy needed for their rapid growth and development.
The following signs will tell you if your baby is too cold:
Here are a few more tips that can help keep your baby cozy throughout the night.
It’s a parent’s instinct to wake up in the middle of the night to check on their babies. That was us!
We don’t remember how many times we woke up to make sure that our little one was warm and comfortable, but we were up most of the night.
When you check on your baby, do it gently so you don’t disturb their sleep. Feel their neck or back to gauge their overall temperature.
Keeping your baby warm is crucial, but it’s equally important not to overdo it. Too many layers or not enough ventilation can overheat them and this can be harmful and uncomfortable.
If you notice that your baby is too warm to the touch, sweating, or has flushed cheeks, then they are too warm.
The reason we recommend the sleep sack is that you can control your baby’s body temperature easily.
You can unzip the top or bottom of the sleep sack to release some heat and cool off their baby.
We only used baby mittens, sleeping sacks, and sleepsuits to keep our baby warm at night. That’s all you really need. ErgoPouch offers free shipping so take advantage of this deal.
And for added comfort, get the Newton Crib Mattress so your baby sleeps comfortably and safely. You can read our review of the Newton Kids Mattress.
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