Expert / 11 July, 2023 / Ellie Thompson

Dressing Baby For Bed: What To Wear In Different Temperatures

Puzzled about dressing baby for bed during hot weather? When the temperatures rise, it can be challenging to determine the most suitable attire for your little one.

Top tips for dressing baby for bed

The Lullaby Trust advise that a baby’s room should be kept between 16-20°C (61-68°F), but this can be tricky in the hotter weather. Smaller babies are not great at controlling their own temperatures and overheating is a known factor in cot death. For that reason, it’s important to know how to dress your baby in different temperatures.

Here’s our guide to dressing baby for bed.

Tog ratings explained

When it comes to dressing baby for bed, it’s wise to swot up on tog ratings. Sleeping bags are typically given a tog rating for the warmth they provide.

Commercial sleeping bags have the following ratings:

• 2.5 tog: for use all year and for standard room temps of 16-20
• 1.0 tog: for use in warmer weather and in warmer rooms of 20-24
• 0.5 tog: for use in hot weather and warm room temperatures of 24-27

Dressing baby for bed in warmer temperatures

27°C (81°F)+

• Vest and nappy or nappy only

24-27°C (75-81°F)

• Bodysuit with nappy and light sleeping bags 0.5 tog or less

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23°C (74°F)

• Short sleeved vest with nappy and 1 tog sleeping bag

21°C (69°F)

• Long sleeved cotton vest with nappy and 1 tog sleeping bag

Under 18°C (65°F)

• Cotton babygrow with nappy and 2.5 tog sleeping bag

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Dressing baby for bed in cooler temperatures

Under 16 °C (61°F)

• Short-sleeved vest or sleeveless vest with long sleeve baby grow and 2.5 tog sleeping bag
• Long sleeved baby grow with 3.5 tog sleeping bag

Under 14°C (57°F)

• Long sleeved cotton vest underneath cotton baby grow with 3.5 tog sleeping bag

How will I know if my baby is too hot or too cold?

• If your baby is uncomfortable, they may wake during the night, indicating that they may be too hot or cold. Feel the back of their neck (or tummy) to check they feel nicely warm. If skin feels damp they may be too hot
• Don’t worry if your baby’s arms, hands or feet feel cool – this is very normal, and in fact, helps them to  maintain a regular temperature
• Putting a hat or hood on your baby when they are in bed may cause them to overheat
• It’s better for baby to be cool rather than hot. If they’re uncomfortably cold don’t worry – they’ll soon let you know!

For more information download The Lullaby Trust factsheet.

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