My son Justin sweats a lot. It’s quite understandable that he perspires when he’s playing or doing physical activities. What I don’t understand is even if he is still, like when he’s about to go to sleep or within the first hour that he dozed off, he keeps sweating even if the air conditioner in our bedroom is on. He actually hates having the blanket on at night. Since we don’t have any appointment with his pedia anytime soon, I did the next best thing. I researched about the topic on the Internet, and here’s what I found out.
According to Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician and author of Baby and Child Health: The Essential Guide From Birth to 11 Years, "It's very common for children to sweat while they're in a deep stage of sleep." Shu states further that children are more likely than adults to sweat at night for the following reasons: (1) they spend more time in deep sleep, (2) their temperature regulation systems aren't as developed, and (3) they have a higher proportion of sweat glands compared to their body size (www.parentcenter.babycenter.com).
You can make your child comfortable by not overdressing her when she sleeps or by adjusting the temperature of her room. For Justin, I usually make him wear cotton pajamas at night. Both our air conditioner and electric fan are turned on, too.
Night sweating can also indicate a medical problem, however. For instance, a child with sleep apnea (a temporary suspension of breathing during sleep) may sweat as she works harder to get a breath. Other symptoms to watch out for, according to Shu, are “fever, snoring, gasping, pauses in breathing, and any symptoms of illness.” It’s best to call your doctor right away if you find any of these symptoms in your child (www.parentcenter.babycenter.com).
If your child does not have any of these symptoms, then her night sweating is just a normal thing. There’s really no need to worry as this will decrease over time.
According to Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician and author of Baby and Child Health: The Essential Guide From Birth to 11 Years, "It's very common for children to sweat while they're in a deep stage of sleep." Shu states further that children are more likely than adults to sweat at night for the following reasons: (1) they spend more time in deep sleep, (2) their temperature regulation systems aren't as developed, and (3) they have a higher proportion of sweat glands compared to their body size (www.parentcenter.babycenter.com).
You can make your child comfortable by not overdressing her when she sleeps or by adjusting the temperature of her room. For Justin, I usually make him wear cotton pajamas at night. Both our air conditioner and electric fan are turned on, too.
Night sweating can also indicate a medical problem, however. For instance, a child with sleep apnea (a temporary suspension of breathing during sleep) may sweat as she works harder to get a breath. Other symptoms to watch out for, according to Shu, are “fever, snoring, gasping, pauses in breathing, and any symptoms of illness.” It’s best to call your doctor right away if you find any of these symptoms in your child (www.parentcenter.babycenter.com).
If your child does not have any of these symptoms, then her night sweating is just a normal thing. There’s really no need to worry as this will decrease over time.
