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In this blog we’ll talk through how to dress your baby through the seasons. You will know from your own sleep environment that temperature plays a critical role in the quality of your sleep. This is even more important for babies, as unlike us they have less ability to regulate their temperature, can’t throw off a blanket or take off their pajama top. Dressing your baby just right for sleep is essential if you want to achieve great sleep results.
What Is the Ideal Room Temperature for Baby Sleep?
Being too cold is one of the key reasons for early morning and overnight waking. Overnight around 4am is the COLDEST part of the evening, depending on where you live a room that was a comfortable temperature when you put your baby to bed can often be <14 degrees celsius at this time of the morning.
If you have a baby waking you overnight or in the early hours of the morning,, keep reading to check you have them dressed appropriately, you can also take a look at my FREE Early Morning Waking video HERE
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In the Summer months (particularly in countries like Australia) overheating and the room being too hot and bright for sleep is often also a risk for poor sleep. Babies are like goldilocks – it needs to be just right.
What Temperature Should a Baby’s Room Be at Night?
Being too cold is one of the key reasons for early morning and overnight waking. Overnight around 4am is the COLDEST part of the evening, depending on where you live a room that was a comfortable temperature when you put your baby to bed can often be <14 degrees celsius at this time of the morning.
If you have a baby waking you overnight or in the early hours of the morning,, keep reading to check you have them dressed appropriately, you can also take a look at my FREE Early Morning Waking video HERE
How to Monitor Room Temperature for Baby Sleep
The best way to monitor a baby’s room temperature is with an in room thermometer that you can access while they are sleeping. In great news nearly all baby room monitors, whether they are video or just sound, tend to have these built-in so it’s unlikely you have to buy a separate item just to monitor temperature.
One of the items many parents raise with me is the frustration of central heating or central air conditioning not being particularly effective or precise in the bedroom when you are trying to be reasonably precise. If there is a dark room in the house that has a reverse cycle heater/cooler this is the most ideal scenario for climate control (I appreciate this is a luxury many families can’t facilitate but if you can it’s a great option). There are also a range of fantastic heating options such as panel heaters that are thermostat controlled to keep a bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and that are safe for little hands to touch.
How to Dress a Baby for Sleep Based on Temperature
No matter what the season it’s important for both comfort and safety that your baby is dressed appropriately for the ambient temperature of their room.
Baby Sleepwear Chart: What to Wear at Each Temperature
TOG (thermal overall grade) is a measurement you don’t learn about until you have kids. At first you’ll think it’s just a guide for parents who need a guide for everything but even for the most relaxed parents it will become your bible about how you dress your baby depending on the temperature….because you’ll quickly learn a baby that is too hot or too cold won’t sleep well!
The TOG ratings act as a guide to understand sleepwear warmth, especially for sleeping bags and sleep suits. If you’re unfamiliar with TOG or want to learn more about how it works, check out our guide to TOG ratings and why they matter for baby sleep.
Why Room Temperature Matters More Than Outside Weather.
No matter what the temperature is outside, it goes without saying your baby’s room temperature is the most important factor when they are sleeping. A comfortable and safe room temperature ranges from 18-22 degrees celcius with 22 generally considered optimal.
Safe Sleepwear Choices for Different Temperatures
Safe sleepwear will depend on age, developmental milestones (like rolling), room temperature and personal preference.
When it comes to a newborn baby I’m a HUGE fan of swaddling or baby wrapping, if a traditional swaddle doesn’t work for your baby you can give my famous arms up technique a go:
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Swaddles like sleep suits come in very thin muslin or thicker fabrics, annoyingly not many include a TOG rating which many parents have complained to me about! Once your baby starts to roll you’ll need to transition them to a sleep suit with arms or an arms free sleep suit. There are lots of options available for lighter weight summer versions and thicker winter sleep suits. Manufacturing regulations in most countries require sleep suit TOGs to stop at 3.5 TOG.
How to Dress Baby for Sleep in Different Seasons
How to Dress Your Baby for Sleep in Summer
Dressing for summer all depends on where you live, how effective your cooling is at your house and how much outside sleep and sleeping on the go you are doing.
If you’re outside (particularly in a pram) no matter what they are wearing it can get dangerously hot – never place a blanket (even lightweight blankets) over a pram on a hot day.
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One of the problems with summer is it can be really hot outside but freezing inside with cooling – managing this and sleep is the key to success. If the room is over 24-26 degrees celcius you may find your baby is too hot to sleep comfortably, no matter what they are wearing . You can get sleep suits as light as 0.2 TOG in a lightweight cotton or muslin for hot rooms and hot climates. If your room is a comfortable 20-22 degrees you’ll find you’ll dress your baby similarly to the way you dress them in winter.
Whether it’s Summer or Winter, If your baby suffers from eczema I always remind parents to ensure their baby does not overheat – heat is the number one enemy of eczema and flare ups can become uncontrollable. See more eczema blog for more on this topic.
Never use electric blankets or hot water bottles in winter for your baby, no matter how cold it is. The safety risk is too high and both can be a burn risk for your baby’s skin.
Unsupervised sleep in cars is not recommended, I always remind parents about the dangers of a warm car and how hot it can get in warm weather, particularly in the back seat where there may be no vents or no vents for a backward facing car seat.
How to Dress Your Baby for Sleep in Winter
Appropriate room heating to keep your baby warm during the cooler months and not overheating your baby if they have been outside in cooler weather is the key..
I’m a Red Nose Australia ambassador, and while blankets are not always recommended for babies, in winter their sleep suit will not be thick enough to keep them warm and you will need to use a blanket – the average doona we use is 7.5-11 TOG so you can see how a baby in a 3.5 TOG sleep suit may get a bit chilly!
If you do use a blanket as an extra layer in your baby’s cot it’s essential you do it safely – see safety tips below.
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Dressing Tips for Autumn and Spring
Autumn and spring dressing are the seasons I find can catch you off guard, one minute it will be freezing and the next hot… I live in Melbourne, Australia and it’s not uncommon for four seasons in one day! Whether it’s dressing for play or sleep it’s important to be flexible and pack/wear layers so you can easily pivot and keep your baby comfortable.
How to Layer Baby Clothes at Night
If your baby’s nursery stays a consistent temperature all night you don’t need to worry about this one. But if your baby’s room does not stay a nice 22 degrees celcius when you put them to bed and drops to 16 at 4am you may need to adjust layers or make some changes.
If the temperature is dropping significantly overnight it may be that you invest in a climate controlled (safe) room heater – you won’t need it forever but it can really make a difference – this would be the preference.
If a climate controlled heater isn’t an option then add a thicker sleep suit…some parents can sneak in and slip their baby into a thicker sleep suit as they go to bed (my babies were all far too sensitive for this and it would have absolutely woken them up) if you can do this all power to you, one of the tips is to avoid very cold hands touching your baby. The other option for the non-ninja parents and docile babies is to add a blanket – again ensuring you are following all safe sleep guides.
Do Babies Need a Singlet Under Pyjamas?
If you have an eczema baby the answer is no – for all other parents just look at the TOG charts and understand that a singlet is just another layer you count.
Can Babies Sleep in Just a Onesie?
In my experience newborns love to be swaddled and if they are sleeping in just a onesie their startle reflex can interrupt sleep. This startle reflex starts to fade around 3-5 months and it’s important to remember that once your baby is rolling they need to be unswaddled for their safety.
For older babies I highly recommend sleep suits in summer and winter. This is for a number of reasons:
Should You Use Sleep Suits or Sleeping Bags?
Whether you use a sleep suit with legs or a sleeping bag/ sleep sack, it is all dependent on age, as soon as your child can stand and walk (not in a cot) it is recommended they transition to a sleep suit for safety reasons (so they don’t trip over). The sleep suits with legs that convert into sleep bags are genius in my opinion, this can make transitions from the pram or the car in a 5 point harness seamless but allow you to have a bag for the majority of the time. Sleep suits (with legs) are a great option in the winter months as you can get your toddler out of their cot/bed and they can stay in their suit keeping them warm on a cold winter morning.
Common Dressing Mistakes to Avoid
Overdressing and Overheating – How do I know if my baby is too hot?
Similar to adults, babies when overheating will get red, flushed and cranky when they are too hot. What babies don’t do is sweat as effectively as adults, which makes it harder for them to cool down and regulate their body temperature, which can make overheating incredibly dangerous particularly for small babies. They also can’t communicate that they are too hot or take off a layer so it’s our job as parents and carers to monitor this for them.
When checking if your baby might be too hot or too cold, don’t rely on feeling their hands or limbs. The best place to feel is the top of their chest or top of their back. If they are cool or hot and clammy then adjust what they’re wearing accordingly.
Your child or baby’s temperature (the type you take when they are sick with a thermometer) may also go up in hot weather or hot rooms. I see many kids from childcare sent home with a temperature with no other symptoms – my first advice is to take off their jumper, if your child’s temperature decreases immediately you can almost guarantee they were overheated.
Signs Your Baby May Be Too Cold – How do I know if my baby is too cold while sleeping?
One of the signs that isn’t documented in a peer review study but anecdotally I see it all the time is a baby sleeping tucked up on their tummy with their legs/knees pulled up under them and their arms tucked in.
If your baby is consistently waking between 3-5am 4am in the coldest part of the night this can be another sign your baby may be too cold overnight.
Why Hats and Blankets Are Unsafe for Sleep
Blankets can be unsafe for sleep as the risk of the blanket covering your baby’s face and the associated SIDS risk is very high. If used, blankets should be tucked in tightly at the bottom of the cot and on both sides and not go past your baby’s chest. You also need to ensure your baby’s feet are at the bottom of the cot so they can’t ‘slide’ down. A baby underneath a blanket or loose bedding like this has a high risk of suffocation.
Given the risk of overheating (babies, particularly young babies control or regulate their body temperature through their heads), strangulation or the suffocation risk if the item covers your baby’s head or face, it’s important to never put your child to sleep in a beanie, hat or headband of any type. Similarly, wearable blankets with hoods aren’t appropriate for toddler sleep.
Minimising sleep related infant deaths should always be the number one priority when it comes to dressing your baby for sleep. Both Red Nose Australia and The Raising Children Network are strong advocates of these measures.
Ignoring Room Temperature or Signs of Discomfort
Should your baby show signs of being unsettled or waking frequently from the discomfort of being too hot or too cold, adjusting the temperature of the room or the way you dress your baby to ensure a comfortable sleeping environment can be one of the easiest ways to achieve great sleep outcomes.
FAQs About Dressing Babies for Sleep
Is it safe for a baby to use an infant sleeping bag?
ANS: Yes, infant sleeping bags are safe as long as the appropriate size for your baby, with a fitted neck and the appropriate TOG for the room temperature. All babies should transition from a swaddle to a sleep bag as soon as they can roll.
Should babies wear socks to bed?
ANS: Babies can wear socks to bed, if their feet feel cool this can help them feel warm and comfortable, but my preference is onesies with little feet in them, there is less chance of them falling off and less chance they can become a choking risk in the cot. For this reason only use built in mittens on your baby’s hands. If you ever put your baby in socks or mittens, always double check the inside seams for loose threads as this is enough to cut circulation off from your baby’s fingers or toes.
Is it safe to use a fan or air conditioning in the baby’s room?
ANS: When it comes to room temperature Red Nose Australia explain that fan use may be an effective intervention for further decreasing SIDS risk in infants in adverse sleep environments and rooms where there is minimal circulation of air. An oscillating fan positioned away from the cot can help during the hotter months. Fans circulate the air and also provide white noise for baby, which can help them sleep more soundly. Research has demonstrated that oscillating fans can help to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or Sudden unexpected death (SUD) in some circumstances. When is comes to air conditioners ACECQA is a little more specific & has the following information: “The care environment, including sleep and rest areas, should be well ventilated, either with fresh air from open windows if safe to do so, or using mechanical ventilation if needed.” Mechanical ventilation may be air conditioning or a fan. It’s always essential to create a safe sleep environment i,e, your baby must still be dressed according to the room temperature, ensuring they are placed on their back for sleep with head and face uncovered (no hats).
Is it safe to use fleece or thick fabrics for sleep?
ANS: I prefer natural fibres rather than synthetics when it comes to baby’s clothing and sleep outfits for a range of reasons. When discussing the thickness of the fabric it’s all about the TOG rating of everything your baby is wearing in relation to the temperature of the room. You will find manufacturers really won’t produce anything over a 3.5 TOG.
Do I need to dress my baby differently for naps vs night sleep?
ANS: When dressing your child for sleep it doesn’t matter if it’s a nap or overnight sleep it just depends on what the temperature of the room or the sleep environment is when you decide what to dress them in. Like a warm bath in the evening, putting on a sleep suit or sack for all sleep can help your baby know it’s time to wind down for sleep time.
