Is your baby warm enough?

“I have absolutely no idea how to dress my baby as I am so afraid of overheating them”.

This would have to be one of the most common statements I hear from parents every single day. And it’s not the parents’ fault. Today there is so much conflicting information out there on what to dress your baby or toddler in it is no wonder that families are feeling stressed, confused and overwhelmed when it comes to dressing their baby or toddler for sleep. 

Not only are parents confused, but I am here to say that it is the hands down one of the primary reasons that many babies and toddlers are waking frequently during the night, and early rising.

In this article, I am going to break down for you why room environment and baby and toddlers’ sleepwear is a primary reason why babies and toddlers aren’t sleeping well and how parents are accidently getting it wrong. 

These days, parents are drilled into them about safe sleeping guidelines. And these guidelines by Red Nose have been proven to significantly reduce the case of SIDs. I 100% recommend for my families to follow safe sleeping guidelines at all times in my programs.

However, one of the major barrier’s parents face is also being told is to not ‘overheat’ their babies, as it can increase the risk of SIDs. Red Nose states that “Research shows a clear link between overheating and an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy, so it is important that parents and carers know how to dress their baby for sleep” (Red Nose 2020, https://rednose.org.au/article/protecting-baby-from-overheating-during-sleep)

And this statement is 100% true. We absolutely do not want to overheat our babies. We want to ensure that their head and face remains uncovered, and that their layering and room temperature is appropriate.

However, the issue is that guidelines on what that room temperature should be, and how you should dress your baby for those temperatures are incredibly misleading. Red Nose does not suggest what room temperature is best for babies and toddlers, however common advice is that they should be sleeping in a room temperature between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. At this temperature range, major sleepwear manufacturers would have babies dressed in a long sleeve sleep suit (such as a bonds wondersuit), a sleeveless singlet and a 2.5 TOG rated bag. Since many parents have no other frame of reference other than the guideline given by these manufactures, they simply take it for what it is, and replicate it.

When our babies are born, they are teeny tiny with very little body fat. In fact, for most babies and toddlers, they continue to have low levels of body fat until much later in their adolescents. Humans need body fat to keep us warm, which is often why adults will feel much warmer in comparison to our babies and toddlers. So, for us adults, 18 to 20 degrees Celsius might be the perfect temperature for us to sleep in, but for our babies and toddlers it is far too cold. 

Let’s also have a think about how you like to go to sleep at night. In your pyjamas, with your pillow, doona, quilt or blanket, and for many of us right next to our partner. When you wake up in the night and you feel cold, you know to pull up another blanket. Many of us in colder climates will also sleep with an electric blanket on in the winter months. 

Let’s assume tonight you go to sleep on the floor of your bedroom, with no blankets, doonas, quilts, pillows or your partner next to you. Instead, you are wearing only a long sleeve pair of pyjamas, and a cotton blanket. Do you think that you would sleep cosy through the night? It is very unlikely. 

Now if we go back to the “recommended” sleepwear layers for a baby and toddlers room at a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees; long sleeve zippy (approximately 0.5 tog), plus a sleeves singlet (approximately 0.2 tog) and a 2.5 TOG sleeping bag or swaddle - so all up let’s say just over 3 TOG.

Did you know that an adult ‘all year round’ doona is rated at approximately 15 TOG? 

3 TOG for our babies who are tiny with little body fat, compared to 15 TOG for adults? I bet you are now starting to see the issue. 

I advocate that babies should sleep in a 100% safe sleep space as per Red Nose guidelines. That means no blankets, pillows, comforters or cot bumpers. Babies rely on their sleepwear and the room temperature to be warm and cosy for sleep all through the night. If we don’t have a warm and cosy room temperature, and we don’t dress them warm enough, they simply will not sleep well. They will very likely struggle to fall asleep, and if they do, they are unlikely to sleep more than one sleep cycle (30-40mins). Most will often early rise between the hours of 4am – 6am when the outside temperature is coldest. 

Why does my room temperature and sleepwear advice differ so much compared to major sleepwear manufactures? The answer is quite simple. Marketing. The more suits, swaddles and sleep layers manufacturers can convince you that you will need for every single possible temperature you might encounter, the more you buy, and the more money they make. Sleepwear manufacturers aren’t in the business of helping babies sleep well, they are in a business of selling products to make the most profit.

One of the major aspects I educate my families on every single day is how to setup a sleep conducive environment for your baby or toddler, and the appropriate sleepwear layers that they NEED to sleep well all through the night. Warm babies will sleep well. It is that simple. 

If you would like to know more about how to dress your baby or toddler in appropriate sleepwear layers for different climates and room temperatures I encourage you to download my Sleepwear & Temperature Guide. This guide is a GAME CHANGER for families I work with and will be the best investment you make towards your baby or toddlers sleep for many years to come.

 

Jessica Rose is a certified Child & Baby Sleep Consultant. Find out more about how Jess helps families restore order and calm back in their little one’s sleep routine.