It is important to ensure that your baby does not get either too cold or too hot during the night whilst sleeping. It is a good idea to keep a thermometer in baby’s room so that you can keep track of what temperature the room is over-night. Remember, that even though you may want to keep your baby snug and warm, it is safer for a baby to sleep in a slightly cooler room.
For babies under 1 year old there are two main choices of bedding to use:
1. Sheets and Blankets
2. Baby Sleeping bags
Sheets and Blankets
Many new parents choose to use sheets and blankets first for keeping baby warm at night. By using this combination, it is easy to keep your baby at the right temperature as you can easily layer them and remove or add layers as necessary. However, it is important to remember that a folded blanket is counted as two layers. Young babies sometimes like to be swaddled and this is easily done if using blankets.
Most parents use either traditional cotton sheets or brushed flannelette which are warmer to touch. For blankets many use cotton cellular as they allow baby to breathe easily if they wriggle down underneath. In colder rooms, you may want to use acrylic cellular blankets. Polyester fleece blankets are also very useful on very cold days but it is important to remember that babies can easily become too hot when using fleece and therefore may not be suitable for using over-night. When putting baby to bed, use the ‘feet to foot” method, where you put your baby down with his feet at the end of the cot, and tuck the blanket in around the mattress, bringing it no higher than baby’s chest.
Although you could use a flat sheet for baby to lie on, it is much easier to use a fitted sheet as these are much more unlikely to become un-tucked during the night.
Baby Sleeping Bags
Baby Sleeping bags are widely available in a large choice of colours and designs. They usually come in two sizes 0-6 months and 6-18months and are also available in different thickness (togs) for warmer and colder temperatures.
Baby sleeping bags are becoming very popular as your baby will be unable to kick their sheets off and therefore less likely to wake up cold. They are also believed to be a little safer than traditional blankets as it is harder for a baby to become caught up in them.
You will still need to buy sheets for putting under your baby in their cot or moses basket and you may need a sheet or blanket for putting over your baby in very cold circumstance.
It is very important that if you decide to use a baby sleeping bag that you ensure it is a good fit for your baby and that your baby cannot slip inside the main body of the bag. You should also avoid using a bag that comes with a hood as this can cause your baby to overheat. Read the instructions fully and follow them and also check the inside part of the bag for any wear and tear regularly. Make sure that you use the right tog sleeping bag for the time of year. For example, you will need a low tog bag for Summer such as a 0.5 or a 1 and you may go up to a 2.5 tog for Winter use.
What bedding or tog sleeping bag do I need?
The chart below suggests the bedding needed based on the temperature of the room. However, it is also necessary to check your baby to ensure they do not feel too hot or cold and adjust accordingly. Do not worry if your baby’s hands feel slightly colder than their body as this is normal.
| Room Temperature | Sheets and Blankets | Sleeping Bag |
| 16 degrees C | Sheet plus 3 layers of blanket | 2.5 tog plus 1 blanket or extra clothes underneath |
| 18 degrees C | Sheet plus 2 layers of blanket | 2.5 tog |
| 21 degrees C | Sheet plus 1 blanket | 1 tog |
| 24 degrees C | Sheet only | 0.5 tog |
by Jenny, mum to William and James
