Many parents like to put hats on their babies while they sleep at night. But should babies wear hats while sleeping?
Parents often worry about their baby getting cold and choose to put a hat on them while they sleep. However, this is actually a harmful practice.
Why shouldn’t babies wear hats while sleeping?
The main reason parents put hats on their babies while sleeping is to prevent their heads from getting cold and protect their foreheads. However, this practice is not scientifically sound and can actually make the baby uncomfortable.
Here are the potential harms of wearing hats while sleeping:
- Inducing overheating and colds: Babies have a higher metabolism and generate a significant amount of heat. They are not as sensitive to cold as adults, especially given that their heads have rich blood vessels and heat concentration. If a baby wears a hat while sleeping in winter, it can cause excessive sweating on the head, making it difficult for sweat to evaporate and potentially leading to a higher risk of catching a cold.
- Triggering eczema: Wearing a hat for an extended period can create a hot and humid environment around the baby’s scalp, which may result in red bumps or eczema.
- Creating hat dependency: If a baby becomes accustomed to wearing a hat while sleeping, they may develop a dependency on it. This can make it difficult for them to fall asleep without wearing a hat, causing unnecessary challenges.
- Leaving hat marks on the head: Prolonged hat-wearing can leave marks on the baby’s head, which may affect their appearance.
If a baby is already accustomed to wearing a hat while sleeping, it is important not to suddenly remove it. Instead, parents should regulate the indoor temperature properly by using air conditioning and gradually help the baby break the habit. Abruptly removing the hat may lead to sleep disturbances due to a lack of a sense of security or even a possibility of catching a cold if the baby has become more sensitive to temperature without the hat.
Therefore, it is generally best to avoid putting hats on babies while they sleep at night. If they are already wearing a hat, it is important to slowly correct this habit without rushing the process.
