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.
Baby may need only a short sleeved onesie or even just a diaper under the sleep bag in this environment. 1.0 TOG for room temp of 23-24 degrees Celsius (72 - 75 Fahrenheit). You may consider a long sleeved onesie under the sleep bag in this situation, if you feel baby's arms may be chilly without.
The Best Room Temperature for Babies
You don't want your baby's room to be either too hot or too cold. It's recommended that the best temperature for babies is between 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
If the room is warm (26 degrees), then the baby should be in a 0.5 tog sleeping bag and wear a short-sleeved bodysuit. If the room is warm (24 degrees), then baby should be in a 1.0 tog sleeping bag and wear a short-sleeved bodysuit.
The Optimal Temperature for a Baby's Room in Australia
So much so that any changes in room temperature can make them fussy. That's why, according to The Sleep Store Australia, your baby's room shouldn't be either too hot or too cold. It should be somewhere between 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.
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.
Overheating may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in babies one month to one year of age. Many experts recommend that the temperature in the room where a baby's sleeps be kept between 68–72°F (20–22.2°C).
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.
Over 24 degrees - Too Hot
Dress your baby in just a vest. Use a sheet rather than a blanket until the room cools down.
To give you a better idea if they are warm or cold, feel the skin on their tummy and back. Their skin should feel warm and not too hot or cold. Your baby's behaviour will give you an insight into how comfortable they feel.
SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable. So, all infants in this age range are at risk for dysfunction of neurological control of breathing.
The guide shows that in the temperatures of 27 degrees plus, babies should be sleeping either in just a nappy, or a nappy and vest.
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.
The ideal room temperature should be around 18 degrees. Open windows to try and get a breeze going. A fan directed against a wall will cool the room without blowing directly onto the baby. You could also hang a damp towel or sheet in front of the fan, not over it.
Signs of overheating include sweating, damp hair, fast breathing, flushed cheeks and heat rash. If your baby is fussy even after a feeding and even after they've been changed, they could be letting you know that they are uncomfortable or too hot.
What Room Temperature Is Too Hot for a Baby? A baby room temperature above 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius, may be too warm. An older study from California found that using a fan when temperatures rose above 70 degrees was associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
Whenever you put your baby down to sleep, day or night, give them a safe place to sleep. Always put baby to sleep on their back. Baby should sleep in their own cot, in your room, for the first twelve months.
Fans should never blow directly on the baby and should be out of baby's reach. A lukewarm bath or cool wash cloth can help cool baby down. In very hot weather, take your baby somewhere with air-conditioning such as a mall or a friend's house.
The results found that running a fan in a sleeping infant's room lowered the risk for SIDS by 72 percent. That risk was lowered even further when the infant's sleeping conditions put him or her at higher risk for SIDS, such as sleeping in a warm room or sleeping on the stomach.
Instead of adding blankets, add a layer of clothing. For example, you may want to consider whether your baby may benefit from a wearing vest under his or her baby-grow or pajamas. You may prefer to put your baby in a baby-grow/onesie with feet when it is cold, but without at warmer times of the year.
Going to bed too warm can cause mild side effects from poor sleep to a heat rash, but research has also linked overheating to an increased risk of sudden-infant-death syndrome (SIDS). For infants, a normal temperature is considered to be 97.5 degrees fahrenheit (36.4 degrees celsius).
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.