What to Dress Baby in for Sleep

Oct 6

One of my BIGGEST hangups when I became a new mom was about how hot or cold my baby was feeling! Even as he lay peacefully sleeping, one of the recurring thoughts I kept having was, “What if he’s freezing? What if he’s sweating?” Apparently, I’m not alone in this; it’s a fairly common question on “Free Question Friday” posts over on Instagram @HeavenSentSleep! Here are a few fast facts about dressing your baby for sleep.

What temperature to set my thermostat for sleep?

The optimal temperature range for babies and adults is 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, if you feel comfortable with how the room feels, then your baby is likely to be comfortable as well. If you feel like you need to add a layer to feel warm, then your baby likely also needs an extra layer. However, every baby (and adult!) may feel comfortable at different temps within that range. If your baby has lots of extra wakings, or seems restless in their sleep, check to see how warm or cool they feel. When checking to see if your baby is too warm, feel their back, neck, or chest - not their hands or feet! The extremities will naturally be cooler than the rest of their body due to less blood circulation in those areas.

You will want to take extra care to make sure that your baby is not overheating, which is a factor that has been linked to SIDS. In fact, it is now recommended by the AAP (as of 2022) to avoid putting a hat on your baby while indoors (outside of the first few hours of life or if they are in the NICU). They lose so much of their body heat from their head, which is why a baby may easily overheat while wearing a hat indoors. My great aunt Jean crocheted so many cute and warm baby hats for my kids, but they sadly were the size to fit a doll’s head. No way my melon-headed children were ever going to fit into those, so it all worked out for the best!

Signs of Overheating

Sweating
Red cheeks
Damp hair
Heavy breathing
Restless sleeping

What is a sleep bag/sleep sack?

A sleep bag (or wearable blanket, or sleep sack!) is an item of clothing that goes over your baby’s onesie or pajamas. It has holes for their arms and a zipper, and there are a lot on the market to choose from! They even come with different TOG ratings (more on that below). A sleep sack can be a powerful sleep association! As soon as I lay my kids on theirs, they begin to yawn or rub their eyes. They know that as soon as their “fleep flack” is on, sleep is just around the corner!

Benefits of using a sleep bag:

Helps your baby regulate their temperature
Acts as a sleep cue, is part of the bedtime routine
Can easily be packed in a suitcase, helps your baby sleep easier on vacation with a familiar item from home
Less likely for baby to get their leg stuck in between the crib slats while wearing a sleep sack
Makes it more difficult for a toddler to escape their crib

What is TOG?

Thermal overall grade, or “TOG” for short, is essentially a rating of warmth for a product (can also be found on certain blankets, socks, etc.). The higher the TOG rating, the warmer the item is! You can layer the clothing under a sleep sack to make your baby warmer or cooler. You want to pay extra attention to the TOG rating so that your baby does not overheat. Below, I have added a chart to help you decide how to dress your baby for sleep.