Stressing out about whether your baby is too cold or hot during the night while sleeping? It’s easy to do, especially when they are tiny new babies. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated!
It’s recommended to keep your baby’s room between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above or below those numbers can affect your little one’s sleep quality due to being more sensitive to temp changes.
Read below to find out exactly how to dress baby for sleep in a 68 degree room (Hint, there’s a system to it!). Also checkout the free printable cheat sheet below on how to dress your baby according to different temperatures.
Please keep in mind that everything written below does not replace medical advice. If you are unsure, always reach out to a medical professional to find out what is best for your baby. This is simply an account of what I’ve found to be true as a momma of two, and what has worked for my family. 🙂
First things first: Use a swaddle or wearable blanket with the appropriate TOG rating
Avoid using loose blankets for your baby because that can be very dangerous for them and increase the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Sleep sacks are a great alternative that can keep baby warm AND safe.
Most swaddle blankets that come from a reputable company have a TOG (Thermal Overall Grade) rating, which tells you how warm and insulated that garment will be for your baby to wear overnight. This is super helpful when dressing baby for sleep because you have an idea on where to start!
Basically, a higher TOG rating means there is more insulation and padding for warmth and a lower TOG rating means less fabric/warmth which is great for summertime or higher room temps.
A TOG rating of 1.0 to 2.5 is considered best for a room set to 68 degrees.
What about layers?
You may want to consider an additional layer under the swaddle or sleep sack that you picked out for your baby.
With a lower TOG rated sleep sack, a footed sleeper may be best underneath or even a fleece sleeper if the sleep blanket is on the lighter side.
For a warmer sleep sack that is thicker or perhaps made out of fleece, a light pj set may be better.
The main thing to remember with sleep sacks is that they are sleeveless – so you definitely want some type of layer with long sleeves underneath to keep your baby’s little arms warm enough.
What if we don’t use a sleep sack or swaddle?
Because babies are really just tiny little bosses, sometimes they don’t always go with the flow of what us parents want. 😉 I could tell this VERY clearly with my own two little ones. My son did absolutely wonderful with the Love to Dream swaddles, (or aka flying squirrel swaddles as I like to call them… you’ll see why if you see a picture of them LOL). In fact we used them throughout each size and stage that he grew into!
When my daughter was born, she used swaddles for about the first month and then was D. O. N. E. with them! Turns out, she slept way better with just a regular sleep sack and footie pjs.
It really just depends on the child with what they will resonate with and what will help them sleep in the long run.
If your child doesn’t do great with sleep sacks that’s okay! Let’s figure out a modification that they do well with.
In a 68 degree bedroom, I would first try a fleece sleeper and see how your baby does with that. If they are a little too cold, try layering a short-sleeved onesie underneath. If they get a bit too hot, try switching to a regular footed sleeper with a onesie underneath that.
It’s all about figuring out what works and running with it!
How to know if my baby is too hot or cold?
If you think baby is getting too hot, feel the back of his/her neck and belly to see if it is sweaty or if their skin feels a little clammy. A lot of times if babies are too hot, they won’t be sleeping as well and may be squirming around more.
Try taking a layer off to see if that helps to cool your little one down. You can also offer baby a nursing session or bottle to get some fluids in their system. If your baby still seems hot, try wiping down his/her’s forehead, back of neck, belly, and back with a cool washcloth.
If you are worried about your baby getting too cold, checking the back of their head is a good rule of thumb for this too. You can also check their arms and belly – If they feel cool to touch and baby isn’t sleeping well, you may want to get an extra layer on him/her.
Hats and mittens are not considered safe to have on baby while in their sleep space. Check out the ABC’s of Safe Sleep for more info.
If they are really chilled, the best way for a baby to regulate body temperature is to do skin-to-skin by placing baby on your chest for a bit. This is an amazing method to use not just on newborns, but older babies as well! It can help manage baby’s temperature, heart rate, encourage bonding, and even releases the best type of hormones such as: oxytocin, prolactin, and endorphins! Source
Remember momma, you know best in this. If you feel that something isn’t right or your baby isn’t comfortable – trust your gut and do what you think will help.
HERE IS HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE CHEAT SHEET ON HOW TO DRESS BABY FOR SLEEP
To download your free printable, enter your first name and email in the box below. It will send an email directly to you to confirm your request.
Very important! You must confirm your email first then a page will automatically open with your free printable in it. Once it opens, you can save it for later or go ahead and print it out for use!
This is a great resource to hang up near your baby’s closet or put in your babysitter’s binder for next time they are watching your little one.
What if my baby has cold hands and cold feet every night?
If your baby’s core is a normal temp and he or she is still sleeping well, then it shouldn’t be an issue that your baby’s hands and feet are on the colder side. In fact, this is pretty normal!
If you’re worried, you can always put them in footed sleepwear that also has little hand covers to help with this.
Keep in mind of where baby’s crib is located
If your little one seems uncomfortable a lot during the night, you may take note of where the crib has been placed in the room.
Is it in line with the air conditioning or heat vent? Maybe the ceiling fan pushing just a little bit too much air around?
Even though the room may be set to the ideal temperature, the fan or heat coming through the vent may be a little much if the crib is right next to it.
Try moving the crib to another wall or space to see if that helps any – or maybe turning the fan on low instead.
You’ll want to avoid doing this
Using any type of loose bedding
For safety reasons, you never ever want to use loose blankets in the crib. The risk of sudden infant death syndrome is just too high and dangerous to take that chance. Instead, use a safe alternative like a sleep sack so it won’t ever move around the crib while baby is sleeping.
Over dressing
It’s easy to bundle baby up to make sure they stay nice and warm all night, but we want baby to stay at the right temperature – and that also includes avoiding baby getting too warm. If you find that your baby naturally stays on the warmer side, try using clothes that are made with breathable fabrics instead. That may look like using just a light sleeper with a TOG rated 1.0 sleep sack.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE CHEAT SHEET BELOW
Final Thoughts
Remember to always test out different methods to see what works for your individual child. What may work great for one, might not go too well with another. Some babies just run on the warmer side than others! Watch and listen to want signs your baby is giving you and dress according to what they need.
You know your gut, momma! Remember to check in with yourself and see what your gut is trying to tell you. More often than not, you already know the answer to what is best for your baby.
Safe sleep practices is always the #1 most important thing when it comes to what to dress your baby in warmer or cooler temperature. Avoid loose blankets at all costs and stick to a safe option like a sleep sack with additional layers if needed. Always follow the ABC’s of Safe Sleep.
Does your baby use a swaddle or sleep sack? Do you dress your baby at night similar to this? Let me know in the comments below!
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