Is your baby sweating while sleeping? Here's what you need to know about it.
What can you read in this article?
- Why does my baby sweat so much while sleeping?
- Baby sweating - is it something to be worried about?
- The deal about baby's sweaty hands and feet
So your nighttime routine is all done - baby had her bath, is nice and warm in her pajamas, you've turned on the aircon and she falls asleep after nursing and listening to the soothing lullabies that you sing. You creep out of the room and return after an hour just to check, and you find your baby sweating while sleeping. This happens all the time and you cannot for the life of you understand just why this happens.
Why is my baby sweating while sleeping in spite of me turning on the air conditioner every night? Is this normal? Should I be concerned? Could it be an underlying problem?
Moms and dads, especially if this is your first baby, we completely understand that something as seemingly innocuous as your baby's sweat could get you all worried and maybe even make an appointment with your pediatrician.
So before you do that, we are here to provide you with some basic information that you need to know.
Baby sweating while sleeping - what could be causing it
Why does my baby sweat so much while sleeping? And why does my baby sweat so much from the head? Here are some possible things that could be causing it.
1. Infection
If your baby doesn't usually sweat much, but for some reason is sweating a lot at the moment, she might be getting a cold or have an infection.
A fever is one of the first telltale signs of infection, so take your little one’s temperature when you notice the excessive sweating. Once the fever is confirmed, you can consult your child's pediatrician on what steps to take next.
But what if your baby is sweating but no fever?
The good news is that in most cases, the infamous wet patch behind your baby's head, that you often find when she is fast asleep, is really nothing to worry about. Here are other possible reasons behind it.
2. Immature nervous system
What is the nervous system? It is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body. Our nervous system also controls our body temperature.
However, the nervous system of newborn babies isn't fully developed yet. Consequently, the nervous system isn't able to regulate the body temperature of a newborn the way it does for adults. And this explains babies sweating while sleeping.
3. Night sweats in deep sleep
What are night sweats? Night sweats refer to excessive perspiration by infants and children, especially when they are sleeping. In other words, that infamous wet patch that you often find on your baby's pillow, or where she rests her head while sleeping.
Why does this happen? Babies spend a whole lot of time in their deep sleep cycle. I know this sounds unbelievable, considering how they wake you up like 20 times every night, but even then, they spend a fair bit of their day in this deep sleep cycle. They are in this deepest cycle of sleep much more than older children and adults are.
So your baby sweating while sleeping is simply because of this deep sleep cycle. They don't move around much when in a deep sleep and this results in a lot of sweat!
4. Location of sweat glands
As adults, our sweat glands aren't confined to one part of our body. But babies are different. They don't have as much sweat glands in their armpits and their most active sweat glands are located on their heads. This causes them to sweat excessively, particularly at night when they don't change their head position much.
So the lack of movement in addition to the sweat glands on the head explains your baby sweating while sleeping, and baby back sweating while sleeping can be attributed to that too!
5. It's too warm!
Yes, it's really as simple as that. Most of the time we sweat because we feel warm. Likewise, a simple and obvious reason your baby is sweating while sleeping is that the room is too warm, or they are too warm. Some parents like to dress their babies in thick, fleece sleepsuits that cover them from head to toe. In addition, they swaddle the baby and place blankets, comforters or quilts over them.
However, you may need to take it a notch down because overheating is also one of the usual causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
"If you live in a humid area, let your baby wear light breezy clothing. Do not overdress because if you give too much heat on a baby, it increases the risk of SIDS, so you have to make sure that your baby is thermo-regulated," said Dr. Gellina Suderio-Maala or Doc Gel, a pediatrician from the University of Perpetual Help Medical Center.
Well, you don't need to be reminded just how hot the weather is here in the Philippines. So go easy on the sleepwear. While full sleepsuits or pajamas can be so irresistibly cute, do spare a thought for the most important thing - your baby's comfort!
6. Crying or being fussy
Being fussy and crying about can also work up a sweat. So if your baby is crying hard or has been crying for a long time, they can become sweaty and red in the face. And if this is the case, it means that sweating is temporary and will be resolved once baby is already calm.
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Sweaty baby - when it's a cause for concern
As mentioned earlier, most of the time, a baby sweating while sleeping is normal and nothing to worry about. But these are some conditions that the excessive perspiration could be an indication of:1. Congenital Heart Problem
Apart from your baby sweating while sleeping, if you find her sweating excessively during simple activities such as feeding, it's probably time to make an appointment with the pediatrician as it is a symptom of a congenital heart problem. A congenital heart problem is a result of defective development of the heart in the fetus. Babies with this condition end up sweating much more than other babies because their heart has to work so much harder to pump blood efficiently.2. Hyperhidrosis
What's the deal with the baby's sweaty hands and feet despite the aircon? If you find that even in a cold, air-conditioned room, your baby still sweats profusely, it could be attributed to a condition known as hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is when a baby is sweating beyond what is required of the body to maintain normal body temperature. It's common for people with sweaty palms and feet to have this condition as well. This is not something that you particularly need to treat with medication. It's nothing serious really, contrary to what it sounds like. Rather, as the child gets older, you can teach them to sweat management techniques such as using antiperspirants.3. Sleep Apnea
Found more commonly in premature babies, sleep apnea is another reason for babies to sweat in their sleep. It is also accompanied by bluish skin color, wheezing sounds, and pauses of up to 20 seconds while breathing, and that causes the baby's body to work really hard to breathe.4. Sudden Infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Many people overlook the danger of overheating a baby. This causes them to fall into a very deep sleep that is difficult to wake up from and can result in SIDS.5. Other conditions
While we say a baby sweating while sleeping is common and not a cause for concern, if the sweating is excessive, we must never dismiss the matter. It can also signal a problem with the nervous system, respiratory issues, an overactive thyroid gland, or a genetic disorder. According to Healthline, don't hesitate to consult your child's pediatrician if, aside from sweating, you notice the following warning signs:- gasping or wheezing during sleep
- long pauses between breaths while sleeping
- not gaining weight normally
- problems eating
- snoring
- teeth grinding
How to reduce sweating and keep baby cool
Just to reassure you, moms and dads, all the above-mentioned conditions are extremely rare so please don't work yourself into a frenzy the next time you notice your baby sweating while sleeping! While there's really no need to "sweat on it," it doesn't mean that we can't do anything about our baby's sweating. For sure there are ways that we can try to reduce the excessive perspiration and help baby feel fresh and cozy while sleeping. For starters, if baby is crying hard and has worked up a sweat, take the time to figure out what they need and help them, and see if the sweating stops. Maybe they just need you to hold them, or maybe you have to strip down some layers of clothing or adjust the room temperature. Again, it doesn't hurt to check if your baby's warm if you see him breaking a sweat. One way to check for overheating is to feel the back of his neck if it's hot or sweaty. You can also check your baby's temperature if you want to be more accurate."The most objective way to know if your baby is hot or cold is with the use of the thermometer. The normal temperature is between 36.5 and 37.5," said Doc Gel.
Meanwhile, you can also make sure that the room temperature is conducive for sleeping. Doc Gel suggests keeping the temperature of the room between 22 to 25 degrees Celsius. If you don't have air conditioning at home, and see that this bothers your little one, you can put the electric fan on steady facing baby, with a simple reminder:
"If your electric fan is dirty and your baby is prone to sickness or has a weak immune system, he may inhale the dust, dirts or other pathogens in the fan that can make him sick. So make sure to clean your electric fan if you plan on putting it near your baby," said Doc Gel.
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Singapore
Additional information from Camille Eusebio
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