You should dress your baby one-to-two layers to sleep—make sure they don't have any strings or ties—and never cover baby's head. Until the baby can roll on their own, a swaddle or sleep sack can be one of those layers.
When dressing your newborn for bed, follow this rule of thumb: dress the infant in one additional layer than what you'd be comfortable wearing at night in that room. Consider a onesie, sleep sack, or lightweight swaddle in warmer months. In colder months, opt for a long-sleeved onesie or a heavier sleepsack or swaddle.
Dressing newborns for warmth
As a guide, dress your baby in the same number of layers you're wearing, plus one extra layer for warmth. Although it's important to keep newborns warm, it's just as important that your baby doesn't overheat, especially during sleep.
Room under 16 degrees: Use a 2.5 tog bag with a cotton bodysuit and sleepsuit. Room at 17-21 degrees: Use a 2.5 tog with a cotton bodysuit. Room at 22 to 25 degrees: Use a lightweight 1.5 tog with a cotton bodysuit. Room above 25 degrees: Use a 0.5 tog sheet or muslin bag and a short-sleeved bodysuit.
If the room is slightly cooler (20 degrees), then baby should be in a 2.5 tog sleeping bag and wear a long-sleeved bodysuit. If the room is slightly cooler (18 degrees), then baby should be in a 2.5 tog and wear a long-sleeved body suit and pyjama top.
The best way to check if your little one is the correct temperature is to put your hand on the child's chest. Does their chest feel comfortable and warm? It should not be hot or cool to your touch. Touching your baby's hands and feet is not a good way to determine if your child is warm enough.
It is important to make sure that your baby is a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold. The chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot. A room temperature of 16-20°C – with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag– is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies.
Signs of hypothermia include shivering, breathing slowly and having pale, cool skin. Babies who are hot, tend to look uncomfortable. Like adults who overheat, a baby's skin will become red, and they will look flushed.
Your baby can absolutely wear pajamas under her sleep sack. Depending on the time of year and the temperature, you can dress her in light pajamas and a light sleep sack in spring and summer and in a pair of warm, fleece pajamas with a heavier sleep sack in the fall and winter.
It is most common to use a onesie, footie, romper, or two-piece pyjama sets under a baby sleep sack. Usually one layer of clothing under the appropriate TOG of the sleep sack is sufficient!
Infantile colic can be distressing to parents whose infant is inconsolable during crying episodes. Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
AAP suggests parents “avoid the use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows, and soft toys.” Not only do these extra fabrics pose a risk of suffocation for your little one, but too many layers of bedding increases the temperature. This can easily lead to overheating.
In warmer weather, you can dress baby in a sleeveless and legless onesies, or just a nappy and singlet. For cooler weather, a full suit will keep baby warm. If you are using a sleeping bag, select the TOG that matches the temperature of the room.
After ensuring baby can move freely in whatever sleep sack they're wearing, families should next ensure that baby cannot overheat due to wearing a sleep sack. Indeed, babies are at much higher risk of overheating than being too cold.
Sleep sacks are essentially wearable blankets, and are a comfy yet safe way to keep baby warm on winter nights. Pair the sleep sack with a onesie underneath to ensure that baby is warm and comfortable.
Dressing a baby in a short sleeve bodysuit and cotton sleepsuit can be just right under a swaddle during colder nights, while just one long sleeve vest or sleepsuit is commonly worn underneath swaddles in milder temperatures.
We advise only using a heater to take the chill off your baby's room, as babies should not sleep in hot rooms. The recommended room temperature for a baby is 16 to 20 degrees, with around 18 degrees being ideal.
Use a heating pad or warm water bottle to warm the bassinet for them, so when you transfer them, they are lying down in a warm space instead of being startled by coldness. Place the heating pad or water bottle on the mattress as you complete your sleep routine, remove it from the bed and immediately feel it.
If you're wondering how to keep baby warm without swaddle the Lullaby Trust recommends using “light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag.” Especially when unwell babies need fewer, not more bedclothes.
The temperature can make your baby cry. They may cry because they are too hot or too cold. If your baby is fussy because of the temperature, there are signs that you can look for. Signs of the baby being too hot are sweating, damp hair, heat rash, or clammy skin.
Babies can't adjust to temperature changes as well as adults. Babies can lose heat rapidly, nearly 4 times faster than an adult. Premature and low-birthweight babies don't have much body fat. Their bodies may not be ready to control their own temperature, even in a warm environment.
What Is the Ideal Temperature for a Sleeping Baby? Some studies have found that a room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. View Source may be comfortable for babies. Other recommendations range between 61 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit .
If you can keep your room at a stable temperature of 68-70℉ (20-22.2℃), a long sleeve onesie or pajama underneath a swaddle will be suitable for most babies. If the room is warmer, try just a short sleeve onesie or diaper. For colder temperatures, add an extra layer of clothing.
Your baby's hands do not need to be covered at night. As long as their core body temperature is fine, cold hands shouldn't bother them. If you think the cold extremities are affecting your baby and feel that covering their hands will make them more comfortable or reduce night wakings, that's ok.