Why Winter Brings More Night Waking (and How to Help Your Baby Sleep Better)

Flic our Sleep specialist on The Hitchin course shares her thoughts on Baby sleep.

I love winter - the cosy evenings, frosty mornings, warm drinks in hand. But while the season feels comforting in so many ways, many families find their little one’s sleep takes a turn for the worse when the temperature drops. Here is a blog to give parents advice on Help Your Baby Sleep Better.

If your baby or toddler has started waking more often at night or beginning the day far too early, the colder weather could be playing a bigger role than you think.

Why Sleep Gets Trickier in Colder Months

Temperature has a huge impact on sleep. When children get too cold, their bodies struggle to stay in a deep, restorative sleep. Unlike us, they can’t just pull on an extra blanket.

In the early hours of the morning (around 4-5am), body temperature naturally dips to its lowest point. Combine that with a chilly bedroom and you’ve got the perfect recipe for restless nights and early wake-ups.

You might notice:

• A cooler feel when picking your baby up for a night feed.

• Early-morning cries around 4-5am.

• Toddlers wriggling, curling up tightly, or pulling knees to their chest.

• Older children kicking blankets off and waking because they’ve become cold.

These aren’t usually signs of “bad habits” or “regressions”, they’re simply a response to the environment.

How to Dress Your Child for Cosy Sleep

Getting layers right can feel like a balancing act. Too many and your child overheats, too few and they’re unsettled from the cold.

Some tips that can help:

• Choose breathable fabrics such as cotton or merino wool.

• Keep the room between 16–20°C if possible.

• Use the “back of the neck” test to check warmth (hands and feet can naturally feel cooler, so they aren’t reliable indicators).

• Have a spare layer ready by the cot or bed in case you need to adjust things quickly at night.

I also often recommend transitional sleepwear, which makes it easy to add or remove layers without fully waking your child.

You can find the sleep products I trust and suggest to families https://www.creatingdreams.co.uk/tools 

Other Environmental Tweaks

• Draft-proof the room where you can.

• Blackout blinds or thick curtains not only block light but also help insulate.

• Move cots away from radiators and windows.

• A large rug can reduce chill if you have bare floors.

Mistakes Parents Often Make

It’s completely natural to worry your child might be cold, but piling on layers can sometimes cause overheating, which is more dangerous than being slightly cool.

Remember: cold hands or feet don’t always mean your baby is cold overall. Check their core temperature instead. And if your child falls asleep in a buggy with lots of layers, always remove some once you’re back indoors to prevent overheating.

Why Sleep Matters Even More in Winter

We all know the colder months bring with them more coughs, colds and viruses. Quality sleep helps the immune system function at its best, so when your child’s sleep is disrupted, they may struggle to fight off illness or recover as quickly.

And it’s not just children - as parents, darker days can leave us feeling flat, drained and more isolated. Pair that with broken nights and it’s easy to see why so many parents feel their mental health dip at this time of year.

Simple things like getting outside daily, sticking to a consistent routine and checking in on your own wellbeing can make a big difference.

Real-Life Examples

When I work with families, I take a holistic approach. One of the first things we look at together is the sleep environment, because if that isn’t quite right, it can be the root cause of unnecessary wake-ups. By making small, practical tweaks, we can often solve the problem quickly and give everyone the rest they need.

Sometimes, those changes alone make a huge difference - like the family who ended early morning wakes simply by adjusting layers and room temperature. Other times, the environment is just one piece of the puzzle, and that’s when I support families more closely with routines, settling strategies and confidence-building for both parent and child.

It’s never about rigid rules or harsh methods - it’s about creating comfort, consistency and the conditions for your child (and you!) to thrive.

Final Thoughts

Colder weather doesn’t have to mean more night waking. With the right layers, a warm and cosy sleep environment, and a consistent routine, your child can continue to sleep soundly through autumn and winter.

And remember, supporting your own wellbeing is just as important as supporting your child’s. Good sleep benefits the whole family.

If you’d like to see the products I regularly recommend to help families sleep better, you can find them all in one place on my website https://www.creatingdreams.co.uk/tools 

If sleep struggles have been happening since before the colder weather arrived, it is likely there are other factors which need to be considered. Book a free call with Flic here and let her help get to the bottom of it and make sleep easier for your whole family.