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.
Dress your baby in layers of fitted clothing rather than just thick pyjamas. You can add or take away layers as the temperature changes. Babies cool themselves down by releasing heat from their heads and faces. Babies can quickly overheat if they fall asleep wearing hats or beanies.
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.
The Optimal Temperature for a Baby's Room in Australia
So much so that any changes in room temperature can make them fussy. That's why, according to The Sleep Store Australia, your baby's room shouldn't be either too hot or too cold. It should be somewhere between 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.
If the temperature in the bedroom or nursery where your baby sleeps is over 20 degrees Celsius, a short-sleeved bodysuit may be sufficient, depending on how warm it is. Add or remove layers if your baby shows signs of being too hot or cold. If you're in any doubt, ask your health visitor or midwife for advice.
If the room is warm (22 degrees), then baby should be in a 1.0 tog sleeping bag and wear a long-sleeved bodysuit. If the room is slightly cooler (20 degrees), then baby should be in a 2.5 tog sleeping bag and wear a long-sleeved bodysuit.
It is important to make sure that your baby is a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold. The chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot. A room temperature of 16-20°C – with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag– is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies.
When the colder winter months come around, it's sufficient to put your baby in a Long Sleeve 1.0 TOG or 0.2 TOG Long Sleeve Layer and place a 2.5 TOG Cocoon Swaddle Bag or 1.0 TOG Cocoon Swaddle Bag on top (room temp dependant). This will ensure your baby comfortable and won't overheat.
The temperature can make your baby cry. They may cry because they are too hot or too cold. If your baby is fussy because of the temperature, there are signs that you can look for. Signs of the baby being too hot are sweating, damp hair, heat rash, or clammy skin.
Babies that are too cold will not exert the energy it takes to cry, and may be uninterested in feeding. Their energy is being consumed by trying to stay warm. A baby that is dangerously chilled will have cold hands and feet and even baby's chest will be cold under his or her clothes.
All you need for the first few weeks are enough clothes to make sure your baby will be warm and clean. You'll probably need: 6 stretch suits (all-in-ones) for both day and night, or 4 stretch suits and 2 nightdresses (nighties) for the night – use socks or bootees with the nightie if it's cold.
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.
So, do babies wear onesies under sleepers? The answer is yes, they do. However, it is not necessary to put an onesie under a sleeper. It is up to you to decide when you include all the factors that come into play.
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. Your baby's behaviour will give you an insight into how comfortable they feel.
Use a fitted cotton sheet and layers of cotton blankets to keep your baby warm in bed. You can add or remove layers of blankets depending on if your baby is too hot or too cold. Alternatively you may choose to buy a baby sleeping bag or sleep-sack.
Instead of adding blankets, add a layer of clothing. For example, you may want to consider whether your baby may benefit from a wearing vest under his or her baby-grow or pajamas. You may prefer to put your baby in a baby-grow/onesie with feet when it is cold, but without at warmer times of the year.
Clammy Skin
You can tell if your baby is too hot if their neck, back or tummy is sweaty or warm to the touch. Avoid the 'touch test' on a baby's hands and feet, as these will usually feel colder than the rest of their body and give an inaccurate body temperature.
Q: Do babies' arms get cold in sleep sacks? A: It's possible, depending on the room temperature. If you need long sleeves in the bedroom or your baby's arms feel cool to the touch, then ensure your baby has long-sleeved pajamas underneath the sleep sack.
Babies tend to sleep better in a comfortably cool room. Because babies have a greater proportion of exposed surface area for their weight, it is easier for them to lose body heat.
Babies will wake and cry if they're a bit chilly, and you can solve the problem then. But they won't likely do the same if they're too hot. And while I don't like to spark fear, especially when the summertime heat is beyond our control, overheating is a risk factor for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
20-24 degrees - Very Warm
Remember that a blanket folded over once counts as 2 blankets, and a blanket folded over twice counts as 4 layers of blanket etc. Don't put blankets past your baby's shoulders, as they might go over your baby's face and cause suffocation or overheating in the night.
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.