• Wet pillows: why does a child's head sweat during sleep? At night, while sleeping, the baby's head sweats a lot. Why

    04.08.2019

    I have a five-month-old infant son. Recently I began to notice that the child’s head was sweating a lot in the full sense of the word. This is my second child and there were no such problems with my first daughter. Moreover, he sweats at the slightest exertion: when he eats, walks intensively, moves. Even at night, when he wakes up, his hair is often wet.

    I feel hot even in my sleep.

    The attending physician will provide qualified advice.

    Causes of increased sweating of the head in infants

    In general, in most cases, sweating of a child’s head is quite normal phenomenon and a normal physiological process, but we, super attentive mothers, will always feel a danger to the child in case of any deviation that arises in him. So, the answer to the question: “why does the baby’s head sweat?” The following reasons may apply:

    • Fatigue due to long periods of wakefulness. Really, Small child begins to be capricious, and the occipital and temporal region may sweat from the tension of crying. An attentive mother will immediately determine that it is time for the baby to rest. When he falls asleep, his head stops sweating.
    • It's time for me to sleep!

    • Using clothing for children made from synthetic fabrics. It’s probably no secret that artificial fabrics do not allow air to pass through, so for infants (and in general, for children of different ages) We strongly recommend clothing only made from natural fabrics (cotton, linen). And mothers often neglect this circumstance: at present, a lot of children’s clothing is sold in markets and stores, bright, beautiful, but synthetic, but natural clothing For some reason it loses significantly in color. Young mothers will choose clothes that are pleasing to the eyes, perhaps without even realizing that they are quite harmful for the baby. After all, the child’s body breathes, but such clothes do not allow air to pass through, and the baby will definitely sweat from head to toe. Worth thinking about!
    • Only natural fabrics!

    • Duvet and pillow. Of course, we choose the best for our unique children! The same goes for bedding - a blanket and a pillow. These down products seem like an ideal option to us, but few people know that down creates the so-called greenhouse effect, so it becomes clear why the baby wakes up all wet, including his head. Mom again does not understand what is happening.
    • I don't need a soft feather bed at all.

    • Various diseases(cold, vitamin D deficiency, etc.). During colds, against the background of decreased immunity (as well as temperature fluctuations), the child experiences weakness, the manifestation of which is increased sweating of the body, especially in the parietal and temporal parts of the head. I think that mothers are familiar with this circumstance from their own feelings during a cold.
    • Children have a hard time with viral and colds.

    • From overheating. Mothers always think that their baby is cold (but he can’t tell!) and that he will certainly get sick. Therefore, they want to wrap up the baby as securely as possible, and this often causes literally every child to develop heat rash, when small red spots appear on certain parts of the body. And because the head sweats, the spots are localized in the neck area.
    • You're too hot in this beret.

    • From “excessive” physical activity. It sounds funny, of course, but such stress for a baby is feeding. He tries so hard to suck on the breast or nipple on a bottle with formula (and if the baby is still strong, and the holes in the nipple of the bottle are small!), that, of course, he will have to sweat! Well, parents will again ask themselves the question - why does the child’s head sweat? (most often the head performs the function of sweating in young children).

    The baby makes a lot of efforts to eat lunch.

    Of course, as can be seen from the reasons that result in increased sweating of the head, there is no reason to worry. It is enough to eliminate the cause, and the child will be provided with complete comfort in this regard.

    It is necessary to prevent the baby's head from sweating. Down products are absolutely not suitable. Preference should be given to synthetic fillers or mattresses made from natural coconut fiber.

    Choosing a pillow is no less difficult task. What should you choose, and does your baby need a pillow? Find answers to these questions at this link.

    Particular attention should be paid to sweating of the head due to a lack of vitamin D

    But one circumstance cannot be left without due attention - this is a lack of vitamin D, which leads to the disease rickets, which is unpleasant for the child.

    It is very important to determine the presence of the disease in time in order to begin treatment as early as possible. The fact is that if this disease is neglected, irreversible phenomena may begin.

    A sufficient amount of vitamin D and no rickets is scary.

    If, in addition to increased sweating of the child’s head, frequent crying, irritability are added, the child begins to smell particularly unpleasant (I did not feel this from my child), then conscientious mothers should immediately consult a doctor so that he can prescribe an additional examination.

    As the doctor explained to me, a biochemical blood test (in the presence of rickets) shows a reduced amount of phosphorus against the background of increased phosphatase activity.

    • The causes of rickets are quite commonplace and, if desired, can be eliminated by mothers themselves. Judge for yourself, it all depends on us:
    • the first and most important reason is improper “one-sided” nutrition (mother’s milk is very important for a baby - everyone knows this);
    • the birth of children in the autumn-winter period (they lack sunlight, which contributes to the absorption of vitamin D from the sun’s rays; insufficient physical activity
    • child;

    frequent colds (unfortunately, they cannot be avoided). The onset of the disease usually begins, as already noted, in winter time

    . For a more accurate diagnosis, the doctor recommends taking blood tests for biochemistry (as in our case), as well as undergoing an X-ray examination.

    In order not to be tormented by doubts, you need to take a blood test for biochemistry.

    When a diagnosis of rickets is made, the child is prescribed to drink drops of ergocalciferol (vitamin D), and they need to drink it for preventive purposes for about a year. And the second point is to adjust the baby’s diet: it should contain foods containing vitamin D. The best sources: fish oil, fish (preferably sea), cereals, dairy products.- this is a fairly common occurrence. You can fight seborrhea at home. All mom needs is cream,

    natural shampoos

    and a little patience.

    It seems to me that my daughter is sweating. Although there are no obvious drops of sweat, my head is wet... They say that this is a sign of rickets. Although Komarovsky says that this is not true, that a full diagnosis is made after a full examination. Scary…

    My grandmother said: “God forbid your head starts to leak...” I didn’t attach any significance to this phrase, it seemed strange to me... But two months passed, and my son began to notice beads of sweat during feeding. We decided to see a doctor.

    And six months ago we were diagnosed with rickets and we are undergoing intensive treatment. There seem to be no signs anymore.

    I listened to the mothers and waited for our tests with bated breath. And then our doctor comes out of the office and heads towards me. She had a smile on her face, and I immediately realized that everything was fine with us. And so it was.

    The greatest happiness is to hear from the doctor: “Your child is absolutely healthy!”

    And I want to wish all mothers healthy and joyful babies!

    With the birth of a child to a young moms a lot of trouble arises, and if she notices that the newborn baby’s head often sweats and a bald spot appears on the back of the head, then the mother begins to worry: what if it’s rickets? In fact, rickets is a rare disease these days. If the mother is breastfeeding and the baby is gaining weight normally, then his daily need for essential nutrients and vitamins is fully satisfied, and parents have no reason to worry.

    Pediatricians there are five main reasons strong head in children - a lack of vitamin D, colds, taking medications, problems with the heart or thyroid gland. If your baby is completely healthy, and you regularly walk outside with him, then his excessive sweating is a normal physiological process. The fact is that in order to develop a vitamin D deficiency, you need to not go outside for a month. It is unlikely that any mother today risks violating the recommendations of her pediatrician for so long, who advises going for a walk with her child every day, even in winter.

    In the majority cases of baby's head sweats heavily during feeding, sleeping or outdoor play. This is due to the fact that the sweat glands in newborns begin to work actively from 2-3 weeks of age, and they are most concentrated in the area of ​​the head, feet and palms. Sweat glands in children are fully formed only by the age of 6, and before that their body reacts to temperature stimuli and emotional outbursts by excessive sweating. Therefore, we can say with confidence that frequent sweating of the head in healthy children under 6 years of age is a protective reaction of the body.

    If the skin heads they did not sweat, then during feeding, active games or severe nervous tension the brain would overheat. For the same reason, you should not measure the temperature of a newborn baby while he is breastfeeding or sleeping; they will be unreliable.

    Of course, anyone pediatrician, having heard a complaint from parents that the child’s head is sweating a lot, he will definitely prescribe vitamins D2 and D3 in drops to prevent rickets. It is absolutely harmless if you give them to your baby without violating the doctor’s recommendations. However, we should not forget that an excess of artificial vitamins can harm a child’s body, especially dangerous for developing organism overdose of vitamins D.

    Worry about what you have baby Rickets may develop, even if vitamin complexes are prescribed to prevent this disease, it is not worth it if, in addition to sweating, there are no following symptoms of the disease:
    - the child has become lethargic and whiny, he sucks poorly and is afraid of ordinary things.
    - his head has a very elongated shape.
    - a bald patch has appeared on the area of ​​the head where the baby most often lies.
    - the baby's tummy looks swollen ("frog belly").
    - the child’s legs are curved and have an “O” or “X” shape.

    IN last years many pediatricians question the need to use vitamins D for the prevention of rickets in children who, along with excessive sweating, do not have at least one of the above symptoms of this disease. This is especially true for children suffering from allergies.


    If the child is already running, then excessive sweating his head from the parietal and temporal parts during active games is an indicator that his immune system is weakened. Most often, a decrease in immunity is observed after suffering from colds and infectious diseases, or long-term use of medications. Increased sweating of the head in children can also be an allergic reaction to food or bedding that smells washing powder or other cosmetic product.

    Sweat heavily during falling asleep Children can play active games even if they have nervous system disorders. If a child cried before falling asleep or became very worried during games, then profuse sweating of the head and body is a consequence of an emotional outburst. In this case, with age, after the formation of the central nervous system, sweating of the head disappears by itself.

    And finally, the most banal and most common cause of sweating head in children is overheating of the child due to excessive wrapping. At home and outside, the child should be dressed according to the weather. There is no need to wrap it up for fear of another cold even in warm weather. There is no need to put a hat and several layers of clothing on your child if the temperature outside is not lower than 18-22 degrees. Dress your baby only a little warmer than you are dressed yourself. Ventilate the room where the child sleeps regularly.

    Stuffiness and dry hot air Indoors, small children find it much more difficult to tolerate coolness. This most often leads to active sweating in children during sleep.

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    Frequent sweating in newborns should be a cause of concern for parents, because if a child’s head sweats, especially during sleep, this may be a consequence of the development of rickets. To rule out this terrible disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

    Causes of sweating in a child

    Newborn babies are susceptible to a variety of diseases. Having discovered the first signs of possible anomalies, radically quick measures should be taken to eliminate the likelihood of their development. One of the alarming symptoms may be that the child's head is sweating a lot.
    This may be due to a variety of reasons:

    • The simplest explanation is that the baby’s sebaceous glands are not yet developed, so they do not work correctly. While the body as a whole adequately responds to changes in temperature and environmental conditions, the scalp does not have time to process and remove excess fluid at night, so the head sweats. This leads to the accumulation of excess moisture, especially during sleep, when the baby’s head lies on the pillow, and hair only aggravates the accumulation of sweat;
    • Another natural explanation for excessive sweating may be the child’s excessive activity, especially if not only the head, but also other parts of the body are sweating. Spending most of the time in motion, the newborn loses a lot of energy, which leads to active sweating;
    • If your baby sweats mostly only when he sleeps, first check the temperature in the room. When environmental conditions are normal, it is most likely caused by a malfunction of the body. The most likely reasons: lack of vitamin D, development of rickets, harmful effects medications(analgesics, antibiotics and some vitamins have this effect);
    • Uncomfortable clothing can also cause the child to sweat a lot, primarily affecting the head. To avoid such troubles, try to dress your baby according to the weather - do not wrap him up, remember that the optimal temperature in the room is about 24 degrees;
    • sweating of the head during sleep in older children may occur due to a violation hormonal levels, This common problem adolescence, i.e. 14-17 years old.

    Thus, to determine exactly why a child’s head is sweating solely by external signs impossible, but an experienced doctor will immediately tell you about the possible risks, having studied the behavior of the baby, his appearance, organ development and acquired skills. The fact that the baby often sweats when sleeping and awake will not necessarily be a consequence of being affected by a dangerous illness, but as a preventative measure, the pediatrician will most likely prescribe taking vitamin D2 and D3 in drops - this is a harmless supplement, and it is especially relevant in the cool season when children are rarely in the sun.


    Signs of the development of rickets in a child and how to deal with it

    The most bad reason Excessive sweating of the head - the development of rickets. This dangerous disease kids early age, which without proper treatment can lead to disastrous consequences.

    In addition to sweating during sleep, rickets has other symptoms:

    • the area of ​​the head where the baby most often lies when sleeping looks very worn out;
    • the skull takes on a non-standard elongated shape, the temporal bones are deformed;
    • the fontanelles on the head begin to soften;
    • body tone decreases, muscle mass relaxes and the child becomes lethargic and inactive;
    • tummy swells;
    • the position of the limbs changes - they can bend and turn in different directions;
    • violated emotional condition baby - he often cries in his sleep, is capricious during the day, gets scared of familiar things and becomes overly restless.

    To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to carry out appropriate tests - you will need to draw blood from a vein. Only based on the results can the doctor make a final verdict. Treatment of rickets in advanced forms will not bring much results, therefore the best option It will be possible to prevent the occurrence of the disease by regularly taking vitamin D2 or D3. This will prevent the development of deformations, both external and internal organs, and will also relieve your baby from excessive sweating of the head and body.

    Vitamins, however, can cause considerable harm to health, since their excess is as unacceptable for a developing organism as a deficiency. The optimal proportion for a newborn is 1 drop per day, but how to give it?

    There are several ways to take vitamin D:

    • dripping into the baby's mouth is a dangerous option. The dispenser often malfunctions, so instead of 1 drop, 2 or even 3 may pour out. Of course, nothing bad will happen at once, but regularly increasing the amount of product is quite dangerous;
    • It is also not worth offering medicine from a spoon, since the drop will spread over the surface and the child is unlikely to receive the amount of the medicine he needs;
    • dripping on is an ideal option. Firstly, you see the end result, and secondly, the child will eat a full drop of vitamins.

    Regular intake of essential for growth and development child's body vitamins and other supplements (as prescribed by a doctor) will help maintain the health of the newborn at the proper level and protect the baby from possible unpleasant diseases.

    Very often mothers of young children worry because their small child My head is sweating a lot. Usually doctors asked question: - “Why?” - they answer unequivocally, “It’s rickets.” But is this really so? Why else can a small child's head sweat a lot?

    First, you need to pull yourself together and calm down.Sweating in young children is a completely normal physiological process.The work of the sweat glands in young children begins at three or four weeks from birth, but these same sweat glands at this age are still very poorly developed. The child’s body reacts to temperature stimuli, for example, cold, by constricting blood vessels. The child begins to freeze and sweat a lot. The sweat glands reach their normal development only by the age of five or six years.

    If you notice that your child sweats a lot during sleep, then of course, first of all, you need to visit a doctor to rule out such an unpleasant disease as rickets. This is especially true for those children who have additional symptoms:restless sleep, whims, crying for no reason, frequently changing mood.

    Excessive sweating can be caused by other reasons:lack of vitamin D, heart failure, colds, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, taking various medications, etc.

    If you have been examined by a doctor and your child is healthy in all respects, then most likely he is just a very active baby. You also need to take into account climatic conditions, stuffiness in the room or high humidity, because all these factors can cause profuse sweating.A mistake that mothers very often make is wrapping their children up.A child should always be dressed according to the weather and only a little warmer than an adult. And if a child sweats profusely in his sleep, then pay attention to what kind of blanket he sleeps under. For example, a baby may feel hot under a duvet, and a duvet or down pillow may cause allergic reaction, which causes increased sweating.

    If you still suspect that your child has rickets, you should immediately consult a doctor. ABOUT initial stage The following signs may indicate rickets: the child’s appetite decreases; increased sweating of the feet, palms, and head appears; excitability increases; poor sleep; The back of my head is going bald. If these signs are not noticed in a timely manner, then the next stage of the disease develops, at which bone deformities begin. To verify the presence or absence of the disease, you can take blood and urine tests. When you have rickets, the amount of phosphorus in the blood usually decreases, and calcium is normal or increased, while in the urine, on the contrary, the phosphorus content increases.

    For the treatment and prevention of rickets, medications containing vitamin D2 or D3 are usually prescribed. These drugs can be given without consulting a doctor to prevent the occurrence of rickets. Usually they begin to be given in the fall after cloudy weather sets in, and end in the spring after the onset of warm and sunny days. It is advisable to carry out such prevention for all children until they reach three years old, and especially premature and weakened children.

    IN adolescence a child already sweats like an adult, because at the age of 12-14 years the axillary sweat glands become active. If at this age a child sweats a lot, then he may have some kind of hormonal imbalance.

    Also, do not forget that excessive sweating can be inherited or be emotional.

    If we consider children from 1 to 12 months, then common reasons can be:

    • overheat;
    • increased activity, for example, while sucking on the breast or pacifier;
    • lack of vitamin D.

    Also, children of all ages sweat for the following reasons;

    • problems with the thyroid gland;
    • cardiac disorders;
    • ARVI;
    • reaction to the medicine.

    Very often, problems with sweating occur in children under 4 years of age. And already at the age of 5 this process begins to return to normal.

    Young schoolchildren and teenagers may suffer from increased sweating. In this case, first of all, you should pay attention to the hereditary factor, clothing, and only then, if necessary, contact specialists.

    A child's head sweats in his sleep - reasons

    Below we will look possible reasons of this phenomenon.

    CauseCharacteristic
    When feeding

    Very often, mothers notice that during feeding the baby begins to sweat. This is a definite cause for concern for them. In fact, sweat is often produced because the baby is putting a lot of effort into getting milk.

    IN in this case Excessive sweating is normal.

    Rickets

    A child may sweat during sleep and wipe the hair on the back of his head due to a lack of vitamin D. This disease is called rickets and manifests itself in the form of problems with bone tissue.

    Only a doctor can diagnose rickets, which is why at the slightest suspicion you should go to the hospital. The doctor will definitely prescribe vitamin D in the required dosage.

    Endocrine diseasesWith endocrine diseases, changes in metabolism are observed. This is what leads to increased sweating. At the same time it is noted only in the upper body, then the lower limbs experience dryness.
    Heart problemsIncreased sweating may indicate the presence of heart disease. In this case, the following signs should be present:
    • labored breathing,
    • cold palms.

    In this case, you should contact a specialist to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a suitable course of treatment.

    During infectious diseases

    Children often become infected with various infectious diseases. They appear in the form elevated temperature bodies and accompanying symptoms. Naturally, during this period the child’s body experiences serious stress and increased sweating is often noted.

    During sleep after illness this problem may persist for some time, after which everything returns to normal.

    Disturbed temperature regime

    Some parents are accustomed to dressing their children quite warmly. Often this is simply inappropriate. This is why a child may sweat, both during sleep and while awake.

    In order to avoid this problem, you need to take off your hat in a warm room and wear mainly clothes made from natural fabrics. The room temperature must be maintained between 18 and 22 degrees. This will help your child feel comfortable and avoid sweating during sleep.

    This applies not only to infants, but also to children who are 2 years old and older.

    How to deal with sweating?

    Often, excessive sweating is physiological feature, which is inherited. That is why the following simple steps will help to cope with this problem:

    1. maintaining the house temperature within 18-22 degrees;
    2. maintaining humidity at 60%;
    3. You need to dress your child in things made from natural fabrics that will suit the weather;
    4. Do not wear a hat unless necessary.

    If the recommendations listed do not help, then you cannot do without a visit to the pediatrician. He will definitely examine the child and prescribe all the necessary examinations. This will help identify the cause of sweating and begin appropriate treatment.

    Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

    Dr. Komarovsky also did not ignore this problem. He gives his recommendations that help when a child’s head sweats during sleep:

    • before going to bed, the child should not be overexcited, which is why it is necessary to minimize strong emotions in the evening;
    • After active play, he recommends bathing the child in warm water with the addition of medicinal herbs;
    • Give your child more clean water during the day, replacing soda, juices and fruit drinks with it.

    Experience of doctors and mothers

    Most often with increased sweating parents of children under one year old face. Before the mother has time to leave the hospital, she notices that the baby’s head becomes wet during sleep. According to most parents, this problem can be solved simply by normalizing the temperature.

    Mothers themselves admit that they are afraid of the baby catching a cold and dress him very warmly.

    It also affects sweating. Some parents think that this problem should go away quickly enough and therefore begin to worry when it persists in children of 7-8 months. From the experience of mothers, it is clear that even at 3 years of age, sweating does not always improve.

    Pediatric doctors have to deal with this problem almost every day. They say that the main thing is not to overheat the child. Also, from autumn to the end of spring, you need to give your child vitamin D. Often these measures are enough to prevent excessive sweating. Sometimes all the child requires treatment and supervision by specialists.

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