If you are a parent to a newborn or a toddler, you’d probably be aware of how careful measures are to be adopted to develop their routine.
Apart from proper hygiene and nutrition, there is another thing that baby wants the most in their daily routine: sleeping.
The most common complaints or questions I have come across during surfing are how to dress a baby for sleep or how to make them sleep well?
Having a baby is undoubtedly a blessing and bundle of happiness, which cannot be described in words.
To consider this, and after doing intensive research, I have tried my best to counter this how to dress your baby for sleep question with some tips through which you can make your little one sleep well without any fuss.
Let’s get the ball rolling and unveil some basic rules of how can I dress my baby to sleep well.
Table of Contents
The basic rules
There is a basic rule of dressing your baby for sleep: dress them in layers of fitted clothing instead of just thick PJs. However, you can add or skip layers according to the temperature changes.
Still, you need to consider various other things like room temperature to decide whether this rule applies to your baby’s sleeping environment.
The temperature ranging from 68° to 72°F is ideal in your baby’s room, so if your home can be warmer or cooler, you need to adjust this rule accordingly by adding or skipping a layer.
The second rule is to keep your baby’ head uncovered while sleeping as they can quickly overheat if they are left asleep.
Babies tend to cool themselves by releasing heat from their heads and faces. Furthermore, headwear in bed can also cause suffocation.
The third rule is never to use electric blankets or any kind of hot water bottle to keep your baby warm during colder temperatures.
Instead, you can use a heater to achieve a more comfortable temperature in your little one’s room. Remember to keep the door a little open so that the room doesn’t overheat.
And, if you think it is too warm in your baby’s room, then you can use a floor or ceiling fan to bring the room temperature down.
Never plug in the floor fan on the same side of the room near your baby.
To swaddle or not to swaddle?
Infants love being swaddled while sleeping. The swaddling technique can help your little munchkin feel safe and calm by mimicking the womb’s environment.
The ideal fabric you can use for swaddling is cotton or muslin, as both are breathable, flexible and lightweight.
With that said, parents who are reluctant in swaddling their baby can opt for a swaddle bag or suit that comes with Velcro and zipper “cheats”.
Keep in mind that you need to lose the swaddle once your baby has started to roll over. At this stage, swaddling cannot provide the same level of safety and may also hinder the development of motor skills in your baby.
Baby can be promoted to the next level, where you can use a sleep slack or wearable baby blanket instead. These are also great alternatives if your baby didn’t love the swaddle from the beginning.
But, if neither of the options mentioned above works for you, that’s fine too.
You can opt for footed sleepwear or little warmer clothes to make your baby warm and cozy when it is cold outside.
What to wear in hotter and cooler temperatures?
It is impossible to maintain a constantly ‘ideal’ room temperature because the summer and winter months can fluctuate the temperature either higher or lower than the ideal.
On summer nights, keep it light and breathable — the usual cotton or organic cotton bodysuit is fine.
But, a T-shirt with a swaddle or sleep sack of muslin or cotton fabric layered on top is also acceptable.
On winter nights, keep it cozy and warm — use a sleep sack as the outer layer for babies to keep them warm.
You can choose cotton, and wool fabric as both are the most breathable and comfortable. On the other hand, fleece can be warm and comfortable but may pose the risk of overheating.
How do you know if your little one is uncomfortable?
If you have fed and changed your little one and still seem uncomfortable, they may be distressed or feeling too hot or cold.
There are some critical physical signs to look for if you want to know your baby is comfortable or not.
Sweating, wet hair, rashes, red cheeks, and fast breathing are a few indicators that a baby is possibly overheating.
However, a baby’s feet and hand might remain cold, as their mini circulatory system is still in the development phase.
Overheating is generally associated with SIDS, so you must be extra careful if you feel the skin of your baby’s tummy, neck or chest hot or sweaty. Take immediate measures to cool it down.
More safe sleep tips
Following are some tips that you need to consider regarding your baby’s sleep time or bedtime.
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- In compliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), you should always place your baby on his back on a secure surface for sleep. But if your baby has started to roll over, then there is no need to worry if they roll back to their belly side.
- Keep in mind that swaddle restrict your baby’s movements which are essential for them to safely flip over, so you can skip it once your baby has learnt to roll over.
- Avoid placing unnecessary things in the crib such as bumpers, loose-fitting sheets, blankets, stuffed toys and pillows. To sum up, nothing except your baby and a pacifier should be placed in the crib because a pacifier may help to reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Always try to share your room with your baby for his first 6 to 12 months of life. According to AAP, the risk of SIDS is considerably declined up to 50% if you share your room with your little one. It is not recommended to co-sleep in the same bed.
Conclusion
I hope this discussion on” how to dress a baby for sleep” has been helpful to you.
If you are still feeling on the fence or have unanswered queries, please let me know below in the comment section. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.