How should you dress your baby for sleep?
While it sounds like a simple question, any new parent knows that even the most mundane infant inquiries come with potentially scary consequences to weigh.
Something as banal as selecting a pair of PJs for your pint-size peanut can feel like a daunting decision when you’re a newly minted and utterly exhausted parent. Fortunately, we’re here to help take the stress out of this process with some practical tips and basic guidelines. Wishing you and your baby a comfy and safe night of uninterrupted slumber — you’ve got this.
1.The basic rules
It’s better to have baby slightly underdressed than heavily overdressed. While older generations are often quick to bundle little ones in lots of layers, the danger of overheating is real and has been linked to a greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)Trusted Source. While this peril is most pronounced through 6 months of age, it remains a concern for toddlers as well.
A home thermostat or indoor thermometer can help you feel confident in your nightly pajama-picking procedure. Plus, in time, you’ll learn to trust your instincts and use common sense. Basically, if you feel good in your own cotton jammies, chances are your baby does too.
2.Tog rating and temperature ：choosing the right sleep sack for baby
What is a TOG rating?
TOG stands for thermal overall grade. It’s a standard of measurement in the textile industry to indicate how warm a garment is. It can be applied to everything from baby blankets to duvets and comforters. Essentially, a TOG rating lets you know how warm something will keep the person using it.
For babies, you’ll typically find sleep garments ranging from a rating of 0.5 to 3.5.
what is the right TOG rate for my baby?
TOG rating and temperature go hand-in-hand. Determining the right TOG sleep sack for your baby depends on the outside weather and how that impacts the temperature inside, specifically in the room the baby is sleeping in.
Here is a TOG chart to give you an idea of where to start:
| Room Temperature & Conditions | Ideal TOG Rating | Suggested Garment Pairings |
|---|---|---|
| • Above 26°+ Celsius/80°Fahrenheit | 0.25 | Ultra lightweight and can just be layered over a diaper |
| • Summer Weather | 0.25 | Ultra lightweight and can just be layered over a diaper |
| • Extreme heat | 0.25 | Ultra lightweight and can just be layered over a diaper |
| • Warm rooms with little air flow | 0.25 | Ultra lightweight and can just be layered over a diaper |
| Between 24-27°Celsius / 75-81°Fahrenheit | 0.5 | Lightweight but can be layered with a short sleeve onesie if needed. |
| Summer Weather | 0.5 | Lightweight but can be layered with a short sleeve onesie if needed. |
| Warm rooms | 0.5 | Lightweight but can be layered with a short sleeve onesie if needed. |
| Between 20-24°Celsius / 69-74°Fahrenheit | 1.0 | Mid-light weight, but it can still be worn just over a diaper or paired with a onesie or light pajamas. |
| Warm weather | 1.0 | Mid-light weight, but it can still be worn just over a diaper or paired with a onesie or light pajamas. |
| Slightly Warm Rooms | ||
|---|---|---|
| • Between 16-20°Celsius / 61-68°Fahrenheit | 2.5 | Mid-heavy weight, so it is best layered with something such as a long-sleeve onesie or pajamas. |
| • Ideal room temp for babies | 2.5 | Mid-heavy weight, so it is best layered with something such as a long-sleeve onesie or pajamas. |
| • Between 10-16°Celsius / or below 61° Fahrenheit | 3.0 | Heavy weight to protect against cold, so it can be layered over pajamas. |
| • Winter months | 3.0 | Heavy weight to protect against cold, so it can be layered over pajamas. |
| • Extreme cold | 3.0 | Heavy weight to protect against cold, so it can be layered over pajamas. |
| • Cold rooms | 3.0 | Heavy weight to protect against cold, so it can be layered over pajamas. |
What TOG sleep sack to use for babies in autumn and spring?
As seasons change, the shift in temperature can make it difficult to know how exactly to dress your little one for comfort and safety at night. When the temperature begins to drop in the fall or starts to rise in the spring, it’s important to look at the TOG rating on the sleeping garments you are using with your little one. You want to make sure you are providing enough layers to keep them cozy without overheating them as this increases the risk of SIDS.
All of Aden+ Anais wearable blankets have been developed and tested to deliver TOG values that are in the ‘safe’ range for babies. Here are the TOG values for each of our products to help guide you to which is best for your baby during the fall and spring months.
What TOG sleep sack to use for babies in winter?
Depending on how warm you keep your house in colder, winter months, you may consider going with a higher number TOG sleep sack. The following table works as a starting point.
Discover sleep sacks with a 2.5 TOG rating and higher made by our partner ERGO POUCH®.
Remember, as you are determining the right SleepSack or Swaddle TOG rating for your child, you’ll want to keep the following in mind:
The ideal room temperature for a baby to sleep in is 68-72° • Do not dress your baby in more than one layer than you as an adult would wear to be comfortable in that environment
Check your child’s temperature to make sure that their extremities (hands, feet, and head) are not too hot or too cold to the touch.
When checking your baby’s temperature, their tummy and chest should feel warm and dry, not sweaty or cold. This is a sign that they are dressed too hot or too cold.
Our lightweight muslin sleep sacks with a 1.0 TOG meant for 72°-75° Fahrenheit rooms.
what TOG sleep sack to use for babies in winter?
Discover sleep sacks with a 1.0 TOG rating and higher made by our partner GAP®.
Determining how to dress your baby for bed is just one of many daily decisions you’ll have to make as a new parent. While there are lots of variables to consider, it’s certainly not something you should lose sleep over because — let’s be honest — parents need all the sleep they can get.
A restful night of zzz’s for both baby and you is likely just around the corner.