When dressing your newborn for bed, follow this rule of thumb: dress the infant in one additional layer than what you'd be comfortable wearing at night in that room. Consider a onesie, sleep sack, or lightweight swaddle in warmer months. In colder months, opt for a long-sleeved onesie or a heavier sleepsack or swaddle.
A TOG value of 0.5 to 1.0 is suitable for temperatures of 75°F (24°C) or higher. This provides a light layer of insulation to keep your baby comfortable without overheating. A TOG value of 1.0 to 2.5 is appropriate for temperatures between 68°F (20°C) and 75°F (24°C).
You should dress your baby one-to-two layers to sleep—make sure they don't have any strings or ties—and never cover baby's head. Until the baby can roll on their own, a swaddle or sleep sack can be one of those layers.
Dressing a baby in a short sleeve bodysuit and cotton sleepsuit can be just right under a swaddle during colder nights, while just one long sleeve vest or sleepsuit is commonly worn underneath swaddles in milder temperatures.
A baby should sleep in clothing intended for infant sleep in order to stay warm at night, since babies are not supposed to sleep with blankets or bedding apart from tight-fitted bed sheets. For example, babies often sleep in sleep sacks and onesies.
You can absolutely put your baby in a onesie or even pajamas underneath their sleep sack depending on the temperature. Babies, like adults, sleep better when they're cool as opposed to too warm, so keep this in mind when dressing your baby for bed.
This depends on the temperature in the room. In colder months, you might want to get some bodyvests for the baby to wear under the sleepsuit. This will ensure that the baby is as warm as possible. For temperatures above 27 degrees, just a vest and nappy without the sleepsuit will do the trick.
Babies don't have to be swaddled. If your baby is happy without swaddling, don't bother. Always put your baby to sleep on his back. This is true no matter what, but is especially true if he is swaddled.
In warmer weather, you can dress baby in a sleeveless and legless onesies, or just a nappy and singlet. For cooler weather, a full suit will keep baby warm. If you are using a sleeping bag, select the TOG that matches the temperature of the room.
Although your baby's hands and face may feel cold, this may differ from their core body temperature. To give you a better idea if they are warm or cold, feel the skin on their tummy and back. Their skin should feel warm and not too hot or cold.
2.5 Tog is ideal for use all year-round for temperatures anywhere between 16-20 degrees (61-68F) 1.0 Tog is recommended for warm summer temperatures between 21-23 degrees C (69-74F) Anything lower than 1 Tog is what you'll need for when things really start to heat up, anywhere between 24-27 degrees C (75-81F)
Two or three sleepsuits and vests for your baby to wear while you're in hospital. Pack more if you know that you'll be staying in hospital for more than a couple of days. Socks or soft booties, and mittens. Pack a few pairs, depending on how long you'll be in hospital.
The best way to check if your little one is the correct temperature is to put your hand on the child's chest. Does their chest feel comfortable and warm? It should not be hot or cool to your touch. Touching your baby's hands and feet is not a good way to determine if your child is warm enough.
By age four years, most children are reliably dry in the day. It's normal for night-time potty training to take longer. Most children learn how to stay dry at night when they are between three and five years old.
If you're wondering how to keep baby warm without swaddle the Lullaby Trust recommends using “light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag.” Especially when unwell babies need fewer, not more bedclothes.
The safest time to stop swaddling is around 2 months old, but as soon as you see indicators of baby trying to roll over, call it quits. This usually takes place around the 3 to 4 month mark, but you might also want to take into consideration the startle reflex.
Swaddling should only be introduced when your baby is a newborn. As soon as they show signs that they're learning to roll over or they can already roll over, you need to transition them away from swaddling (Pease et al, 2016; The Lullaby Trust 2021; McDonnell & Moon, 2017; Nelson, 2017).
Consider a onesie, sleep sack, or lightweight swaddle in warmer months. In colder months, opt for a long-sleeved onesie or a heavier sleepsack or swaddle.
A cotton sleepsuit should be enough for your baby to sleep in if it's warm; if it's especially hot, a vest may be OK on its own. If the temperature in your baby's room is around the 16 - 20 degree sweet spot, your baby should be fine to sleep in a vest and sleepsuit.
2 to 3 hats
Stocked with the pieces above—6-8 bodysuits, 3-4 pairs of pants, 4-5 pairs of pajamas, 5-6 pairs of socks, and 2-3 hats—you'll have plenty of mix and match options to create cozy, comfortable, and easy to change outfits for your baby's first 8 weeks.