Dressing babies for bed: the basics
Dress your baby in layers
Dress your baby in layers of fitted clothing rather than just thick pyjamas. You can add or take away layers as the temperature changes.
As a guide, think about how you would dress yourself for the temperature of your baby’s bedroom, and dress your baby in a similar number of layers.
Keep your baby’s head uncovered – no hats or beanies
It’s important to keep your baby’s head uncovered while they’re sleeping.
Babies cool themselves down by releasing heat from their heads and faces. They can quickly overheat if they fall asleep wearing hats or beanies. Also, headwear in bed can slip and cover babies’ faces. This can be a strangulation or suffocation hazard.
Check your baby’s temperature
Check your baby’s temperature by feeling the skin on their tummy or back. They should feel warm but not hot. Your baby’s hands and feet might feel cool, but this isn’t a good indication of their body temperature.
Check the room temperature
The temperature of the room should be comfortable for you and your baby. It’s best to adjust your baby’s clothing if you can, rather than heating or cooling the room.
Getting too hot has been linked to sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents. A safe sleep environment reduces SUDI risk because it keeps your baby comfortably warm, but not hot, sweaty or cold.
Baby wrapping
Wrapping helps babies settle for sleep. It can also reduce the likelihood that your baby will wake if they startle.
Babies can be wrapped from birth until they start showing signs that they can roll onto their tummies, usually around 3-4 months.
Here’s what to do if you wrap your baby:
- Use lightweight cotton or muslin wraps.
- Make sure the wrap doesn’t go above your baby’s shoulders or cover their head, ears or chin. Wraps that are too high can obstruct your baby’s breathing and cause overheating.
- Check that the wrap isn’t too tight around your baby’s chest and hips. Also check that your baby can straighten their legs. Tight wraps can lead to hip and breathing problems.
In warm weather, dress your baby in a nappy and singlet underneath the wrap.
In cool weather, dress your baby in a lightweight jumpsuit or layers of clothing under the wrap, according to room temperature. You can also use a thin, lightweight blanket if needed, tucked in securely at chest level.
Blankets and other coverings
You can use thin, lightweight blankets or coverings from birth if your baby doesn’t like being wrapped. Or you can use blankets or coverings when your baby gets too old for wrapping. This is when your baby shows signs of starting to roll, usually around 3-4 months.
Here’s how to make up your baby’s cot or other safe sleep surface with blankets or coverings:
- Position your baby’s feet at the bottom of the cot.
- Position blankets or coverings so they can be tucked in securely at your baby’s chest level.
- Make sure blankets or coverings can’t cover your baby’s face or head.
It’s a good idea to dress your baby in enough clothes for warmth with a thin, lightweight blanket or covering. This way, if your baby wiggles out from under the covering during the night, they won’t be cold.
If you’re co-sleeping, keep your baby’s space clear of all bedding, including blankets and other coverings. Also, never wrap your baby if you’re co-sleeping. You can use a safe infant sleeping bag or suit.
Infant sleeping bags and suits
A safe infant sleeping bag or suit is a fitted bag or suit with armholes or sleeves, a fitted neck and no hood.
A safe infant sleeping bag or suit can be a good option for dressing your baby for bed. You can use an infant sleeping bag from birth if your baby doesn’t like being wrapped or when they get too old for wrapping. Your baby is too old for wrapping when they show signs of starting to roll, usually around 3-4 months.
A safe infant sleeping bag or suit keeps your baby warm, and it means you don’t need to use blankets or other coverings. It’s also the best way to keep your baby’s head and face uncovered for sleep.
If you choose to use an infant sleeping bag or suit, check the following:
- The bag or suit is the right size for your baby.
- Your baby can’t slip down into the bag and become completely covered.
- Your baby’s face isn’t covered by material when they lift their arms.
Some sleeping bags and suits have a TOG (thermal overall grade) rating. This can help you decide which sleeping bag or suit to use in different temperatures. But note that a TOG rating is just a guide. It isn’t a safety standard.
The rating or instructions that come with the bag or suit can also help you work out what clothes to put on your baby underneath. But these instructions are only a guide too, and you should always consider the temperature of the room where your baby sleeps.
Some sleeping bags and suits incorporate wraps, but it’s safer to use a bag or suit that allows your baby’s arms to be free.
Once your baby is starting to pull themselves up to stand, often at 10-11 months, it might be time to stop using a sleeping bag.