use a lightweight wrap made of cotton or muslin (bunny rugs and blankets are not safe as they may cause your baby to overheat)
If using a blanket, it is best to use natural materials such as cotton as they are more breathable and will allow baby to lose heat as and when they need to cool down. A cellular cotton blanket is an ideal choice.
Babies sleep well and safely when they're neither too hot nor too cold. Dress babies in enough clothes to keep them warm without blankets. If you wrap your baby, use cotton or muslin wraps. Safe infant sleeping bags help to keep babies warm overnight.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is beyond clear: Babies under a year old should sleep in their own crib or bassinet with no blankets—or pillows, bumpers, stuffed animals, or other soft objects.
In lieu of blankets, the AAP recommends placing your baby in a sleep sack or wearable blanket if they need extra warmth at night. These are usually made of breathable but warm material.
Feel your baby's chest or the back of their neck (your baby's hands and feet will usually be cooler, which is normal). If your baby's skin is hot or sweaty, remove one or more layers of bedclothes or bedding.
Anything that could potentially cover their mouth and nose could lead to suffocation for your infant. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued safe sleep guidelines. This includes a strong recommendation against having blankets in your baby's crib.
To help, we've shared our advice on how many blankets you need for your baby. We recommend at least two to three blankets to make life a little easier— that being said, the more blankets you have, the easier it is to rotate them through being used and washed.
Place your baby's crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard in your bedroom, close to your bed. The AAP recommends room sharing because it can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50% and it's much safer than bed sharing. Room sharing will also make it easier for you to feed, comfort and watch your baby.
Do I have to swaddle my newborn to sleep? You don't have to swaddle your newborn at night but it absolutely helps. I've worked with lots of parents who say their newborn doesn't like the swaddle. That may be true but I would keep trying while changing another variable when you try to swaddle, such as the time of day.
Pay close attention to signs of overheating.
Check your baby's core (back or chest) to make sure they are not at all sweaty. Also watch for their face becoming red, and for rapid breathing.
Generally, newborns sleep a total of about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and a total of about 8 hours at night. But because they have a small stomach, they must wake every few hours to eat. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) until at least 3 months of age. But this can vary a lot.
Bedding such as thick blankets, quilts, and pillows can block an infant's airway, leading to unintentional sleep-related suffocation.
Yes. It is generally safe for infants to sleep in a sleep sack which allows their arms to be free and hips and legs to move once they start to roll over. This ensures that they are able to move about freely and can push themselves up when they start to roll over on their own.
One of the key ways to help your baby sleep better and longer is by maintaining a temperature of 68-72°F. Multiple studies, and our own experiences, show this is the ideal temperature for nurturing your baby's sleep. It's not too hot and not too cold – the Goldilocks number.
Use a thicker crib sheet
You can buy thicker crib sheets for the winter. These will provide some warmth in the crib at night without the risk of having any loose blankets or sheets in the cot. I would recommend always going for 100% cotton sheets which are breathable and help regulate your baby's body temperature.
Babies are not as adaptable as adults to temperature change. A baby's body surface is about three times greater than an adult's, compared to the weight of his/her body. Babies can lose heat rapidly, as much as four times more quickly than adults.
The general rule of thumb is to make sure baby wears one additional layer than what you're comfortable wearing—if you're feeling chilly, your baby probably is too.
If your house is below 65F at night, a long-sleeve onesie or one-piece pajamas worn under the swaddle should be enough to keep your baby comfortable. But if your house temperature is over 65F at night, dressing your baby in a short-sleeved onesie for sleep should work fine.
The Optimal Temperature for a Baby's Room in Australia
It should be somewhere between 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.
A baby is a lot less likely to cry if it's too hot than if it's too cold, because the heat can make your little one more lethargic and less responsive. Although some babies do cry if they're too hot, it's more likely that your baby will get restless or cranky rather than tearful.
First is the developmental window of vulnerability. SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable.