Dressing babies at night: Tips for a restful baby sleep

Especially if you have become parents for the first time, you might be wondering: What should I dress my baby in at night? After all, they shouldn't overheat, but they shouldn't freeze either. There is still some uncertainty here. But don't worry: We'll clarify what you need to look out for and which sleeping environment is ideal for your baby.

Dressing your baby at night: safe sleep for your child

It is the nightmare of young parents. We are talking about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), i.e., the cessation of breathing during sleep – especially at night. The causes for this have not been clearly established scientifically. However, SIDS is very rare – and with just a few measures, you can reduce the risk for your baby.

The two most important things to look out for for your child's safe sleep are temperature and clothing. Adults and babies sleep best at a relatively cool room temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.

A small thermometer is helpful so that you can always be sure of the room temperature. Your baby monitor might also be equipped with a sensor to determine the temperature. By the way: In principle, it is always less dangerous for the child if it is a little too cold than too warm.

Next is how you should dress your baby so that they sleep safely. For safe sleep, you should always rely on a baby sleeping bag and not a cozy duvet – that is an important rule of thumb. This reduces the risk of SIDS enormously for two reasons:

• Your baby cannot accidentally get under the duvet in their crib and, in the worst case, suffocate there.
• In a well-fitting sleeping bag, your baby cannot turn onto their stomach as easily and will likely sleep in the recommended back position. This also prevents respiratory distress while sleeping.

In addition, babies cannot kick off sleeping bags. The baby doesn't wake up because it suddenly gets cold, and it always stays nice and warm and secure. Just like in mommy's tummy.

Dressing your baby correctly at night in winter: Find the suitable sleeping bag

As already mentioned, the room temperature is crucial for your baby to sleep restfully and safely. Especially in winter, inexperienced parents tend to turn up the heating too high. They fear that their baby might otherwise freeze.

In winter, when it's cold, your baby naturally needs a bit more clothing at night to stay comfortably warm. However, it's not the outside temperature that's important, but the temperature of the room in which your child sleeps.

So the rule is: Always take a look at the thermometer in the bedroom or nursery and check the room temperature. Also check the TOG rating of your sleeping bag. You can find more about this further down in the text.

The most important things at a glance:

Dressing your baby at night in summer: Protect your baby from overheating

Anyone who lives in an attic apartment knows: in summer, it can get quite warm indoors too. That's why you don't need to dress your baby in quite as many layers for sleeping in summer. Here too, the most important indicator is the room temperature.

Hands and feet are not good body parts to check whether your child is too cold or too warm. As a rule, these are always a bit cooler. Instead, check every now and then whether your baby is sweating at the back of the neck. If so, the little one is too warm and you should remove clothing.

Keep in mind: You should not dress your baby in too many layers for sleeping in summer, as overheating is far more dangerous than being slightly chilly. So, avoid unnecessary layers of clothing and instead keep checking your baby's body temperature at the back of their neck.

The most important facts at a glance:

Helpful for new parents: The TOG table

Are you looking for the right sleeping bag for the respective season? The previously mentioned TOG system (Thermal Overall Grade system) is helpful here. This is a unit of measurement for the thermal resistance of textiles. In short: the higher the TOG value, the warmer the sleeping bag keeps the baby.

For example, 0.2 TOG made of single-layer fabric is a completely unlined bodysuit, for hot summer nights or room temperatures above 27 degrees. 2.5 TOG, on the other hand, is a padded sleeping bag suitable for year-round use and room temperatures of 15 to 21 degrees. And 3.5 TOG is a warmly padded sleeping bag for winter or room temperatures below 18 degrees.

So, check which TOG value your sleeping bag has and whether it is even suitable for the room temperature. If this is not the case, you should switch to a more suitable model in the right size for your baby.

This table gives you another good overview of how you should dress your baby at night:

Automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep: A pleasant alternative on warm days

On some days, you can dress your baby however you like: they remain fussy and simply won't fall asleep. This can be due to high temperatures, a developmental leap, or a tummy ache. What can help you in such situations is the automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep.

You place your baby in the cozy hammock: there they lie snugly enclosed and protected from light and movement. They already know this feeling from your womb, allowing them to relax better and fall asleep more easily. Sleeping through the night can also be encouraged in our automatic baby hammock.

This is ensured by our intelligent automatic baby hammock motor, which can calm your baby with its gentle up-and-down movements. If you want to support your baby's sleep, the automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep is an excellent choice.