Is She Too Hot or Too Cold? How to Ensure your Child is Sleeping Comfortably
November 6, 2017 / /
Now that the colder months are upon us, a question many parents ask is, “What temperature is best for a sleeping baby? And what should she wear?” Being overheated or too chilly can definitely affect sleep quality, and with SIDS warnings we need to be very careful about our babies’ sleep environments.
The best temperature range is between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you use a baby monitor with the room temp on the display, keep in mind that if you have it high up above the room’s mid-line, or close to a ceiling fan/air vent, the reading you see might not be accurate. Your best bet is to set your thermostat within this range and check your child’s hands, the tip of her nose and her ears to see if they feel cold to the touch, as well as the back of the neck to see if she’s sweaty. If you don’t want to run the air/heat any more than you are and she’s too cold/hot, a temperature controlled space heater (make sure it automatically turns off when it’s turned on it’s face/back/side) or a fan can help take the edge off.
As far as clothes go for sleeping, I recommend that babies are always dressed in 100% cotton for every layer. Cotton is breathable, and allows babies to regulate their temperature according to what their needs are. Other synthetic materials make them sweat and in many cases restrict their freedom of movement. Did you know that fleece is actually made from plastic?!?! This is not conducive to healthy sleep!!
For babies under a year, I recommend a onsie, a footed sleeper and a sleeveless sleep sack. Socks too if it’s on the chilly side. For toddlers still in the crib, I usually do the same, but instead of the footed sleeper they usually wear regular long sleeved pj’s and socks with a sleep sack. I remove the sleep sack when they begin sleeping in a bed with sheets/blankets. At this stage I typically dress my kids according to how I’m feeling…If I use long pj’s and a comforter and feel comfortable, I do the same for them. Usually they’ll complain and let me know if they need something anyway by this point! 🙂
No matter how cold you think your baby is, never put loose blankets in the crib, overdress her or use extra thick layers underneath her. In my mind, being too cold is better than being too warm when it comes to babies, so use extra caution if you’re tempted to bundle her up beyond 3 thin, cotton layers. If she’s sleeping in a Dock a Tot, Rock and Play, wrap, carrier, swaddle, Merlin Sleep Suit, Zippadee Zip, swing or car seat, her body temperature will rise faster and stay elevated while she sleeps, so make sure you account for this!
I hope this information is helpful! If I missed something on this topic please don’t be shy and post a question. I’m sure another mom or dad out there is wondering about it too!
Posted in Sleep Training