How to dress your baby for sleep in cold weather seems like such a simple thing to figure out! However, it can feel like a big decision, especially if you are tired. With an arctic blast headed to my city, this seemed like a timely topic to write about! We are expecting wind chills in the double negative digits. It’s getting cold out there! So what should parents with babies do at night?
The Recommended Room Temperature For Sleep
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping your baby’s room temperature between 68° and 72°F. Many of my clients go by the temperature reading on their baby’s monitor, but I often find these monitors aren’t always reliable for measuring the true temperature in the room. A separate indoor digital thermometer can give you a more accurate reading and lots of peace of mind. And you can find these at a pretty low price!
How to Dress Your Baby For Sleep
Just remember one word: layers! The general “rule” for dressing your baby for sleep is to put them in one additional layer than you would wear at night. Since a baby should not sleep with a loose sheet or blanket, this makes sense, and if you have the temperature in the suggested range, your baby should be comfortable in two layers.
Babies who cannot roll from their backs may need to be swaddled. Swaddling can help young infants feel safe and soothed, like they’re back in the womb. For more info on swaddling click HERE. You can use a sleep sack once you stop swaddling your baby. I like to recommend a sleep sack for toddlers all the way until they move out of the crib.
So to recap: layer one is typically either cotton PJ shirt and pants or cotton footed PJs and layer two is either the swaddle or sleep sack. In the cold weather, you may want to use a fleece swaddle or sleep sack.
Avoid Overheating
You don’t want more than two layers on your baby because the danger of overheating has been linked to a greater risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). You should NOT put a hat on your baby for sleep. Their sleep space should always be free of loose items and a hat could slip off their head and inhibit their breathing if it gets near their face. Plus, a baby releases heat through their head so a hat can actually lead to overheating.
Sweating, wet hair, and red cheeks are some signs that a baby is potentially overheating. A baby’s extremities might remain cold to the touch, as their tiny circulatory system is still developing. You want to feel the skin on your baby’s neck, tummy, or chest. If these areas are hot or sweaty, you’ll want to help them cool off by lowering the room temperature or removing a layer.
While overheating is the bigger concern, you’ll also want to make sure that your baby is not too cold. If you notice that your infant’s core area seems cool, it might be time to turn up the heat or add a layer.
Don’t Obsess or Stress
How to dress your baby for sleep is a topic that I see some parents obsessing over. They are just really unsure about whether their baby is comfortable and if the room temperature is “just right”. Follow all the tips above and hopefully this won’t be stressful for you!