Becoming parents isn't always easy, especially when it comes to dressing your baby for bed! How many diapers should he wear? What is a TOG? Which sleeping bag to choose ? A real headache!
That's why we at Cocoeko came up with the idea of creating a simple, free app to advise you on how to cover your baby at night, and make your life easier.
However, if you do not wish to use our application, you will find below all our advice to guide you:
How to dress baby at night?
One of the first concerns of young parents is to know what the best conditions are for their newborn's sleep. We'd all love to be able to tell if he's too hot or too cold, but since he can't talk yet, the first essential item to have in your child's room is a thermometer. It will become your best ally in guiding you on how to cover him up.
Our infographic to find out how to dress it at a glance
Because sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, we've put together an infographic to help you choose baby's night-time outfit.
Things you need to know to keep your baby safe at night
Let's start with the basics: your child's safety.
- Don't leave anything lying around in your baby's crib to avoid the risk of suffocation: no blankets, no pillows, and of course, no toys in the crib.
- Equip baby with a sleeping bag! Newborns are too young to sleep with a blanket, which could slide over their face and suffocate them. Blankets are not recommended for babies under 18 months.
A sleeping bag keeps your baby warm and safe. It gives him a certain freedom of movement, while avoiding waking up from sudden movements.
For a room between 18 and 22 degrees
Let's start with the most common situation! In autumn, winter or spring, the temperature in baby's room is often between 18°C and 22°C. Experts agree that the ideal temperature for a baby's room is between 18°C and 19°C. This is the temperature at which you can heat the room in winter.
Here's the ideal outfit for colder weather, whatever your child's age:
- 1st layer: a long-sleeved bodysuit
- 2nd layer: pyjamas - velvet between 18°C and 19°C, cotton from 20°C
- 3rd layer: a TOG 2 sleeping bagrecognizable by its wadding padding
If the room is heated below 18°C, you can opt for a TOG 3 sleeping bag.
For a room above 22 degrees
Insummer, when temperatures rise, it's time to adapt your baby's outfit. You may wonder whether it's necessary to use a sleeping bag when it's hot, but some babies feel safer in a sleeping bag, even in summer.
Here's how to dress your baby between 22°C and 23°C:
- 1st layer: a short-sleeved bodysuit
- 2nd layer: light pyjamas
- 3rd layer: a TOG 1 sleeping bagin single cotton without wadding - choose cotton gauze, which is breathable and ideal for this season
Between 24°C and 25°C, it's no longer necessary to wear pyjamas: a short-sleeved bodysuit and a TOG 1 sleeping bag are all you need.
What about hot weather?
Above 26°C, your baby can simply sleep in a leotard (sleeveless bodysuit) or even a diaper, unless he or she is a newborn. This is because, at birth, baby moves from an environment at 37°C (mom's womb) to the ambient air. He'll need to be a little more covered up for the first few days.
Tips on how to tell if your baby is too hot or too cold
A newborn baby takes around 2 years to regulate its body temperature. So it's a good idea to check regularly whether he's too hot or too cold. Here are some useful guidelines:
- If he sweats or has red skin, he's too hot. Remember to change his bodysuit if it's damp, so he doesn't catch a chill.
- If his belly or back are cold, he's too cold. His skin should be warm, but not clammy or icy.
- Don't rely on his hands or feet: the extremities are often cooler and don't reflect his actual body temperature.
What materials are ideal for dressing baby?
One of the first steps for young parents is to put together the essential wardrobe for baby. Your baby's clothes must be adapted to every situation, depending on the day's schedule and the weather. Choose clothes that are easy to put on, and pay attention to the choice of materials!
Here are a few tips:
- Avoid synthetic materials, which are not breathable enough for baby's fragile skin. They encourage perspiration and irritation.
- Cotton remains the ideal material: in jersey or gauze, it's soft, breathable, hypoallergenic and absorbent. It respects your baby's skin, summer and winter alike.
- For summer, choose lightweight fabrics like the cotton gauze sleeping bag or fine cotton.
- For winter, opt for cotton velvet, thick jersey or flannel, perfect for keeping baby warm.
- Bamboo is also an interesting material, with similar properties to cotton, although it is often more expensive.
- Linen and hemp are highly breathable, but take care with their texture: they must be soft enough not to irritate baby's skin.
- Finally, wool often has a bad reputation, but extra-fine merino wool (19 microns or less) is very soft and has the advantage of naturally regulating body temperature.
Last tip
Whatever material you choose, make sure it always has the Oeko-Tex label: this guarantees the absence of harmful substances, which is essential for your baby's health.
