How to Dress a Baby for Sleep

Is a single onesie enough to keep the baby warm during the night? Should I throw in a romper? Should I swaddle?

Every new parent - especially as a first-time parent - has had to go through the mundane second-guessing stage where you are never sure how to dress your little bundle of joy for sleep.

You panic when you dress them too lightly and wonder whether they are too cold. But you also get a little confused because when you throw in another layer, they get sweaty quickly.

The trick is to keep an open mind and experiment a little while prioritizing safety.

So what is the correct answer? This article attempts to find a middle ground and give you practical tips and guidelines to help you and your little pint-size peanut have a safe, uninterrupted, and comfortable sleep time.

The principle guidelines

Although it is not recommended to underdress the baby, a baby who is a little cold is much safer than an overdressed baby. But what is the middle ground? According to the American Association of Pediatricians, the basic rule of thumb states that you should put a baby in one extra layer than you feel comfortable in when sleeping.

This means that if you are sleeping in a two-piece PJ set, the baby will do fine in footie pajamas such as those at https://www.lewisishome.com/collections/baby-pajamas and a muslin swaddle.

Besides this rule, how you dress your baby is heavily dependent on one major factor; the temperature of the room.

Ideal room temperature

The generally accepted ideal room temperature to create a safe sleeping environment for an infant is a temperature between 68° and 72°F (20° to 22.2°C).

Although this is the ideal temperature, it is still hard to gauge whether your baby is comfortable. For example, most preterm babies cannot regulate their body temperature as efficiently as full-term babies.

Therefore, the room’s temperature might need to be slightly higher to keep the baby comfortable until they can regulate their body temperature.

In general, keep in mind that this temperature is just the generally accepted average, and each baby is different. Some are more comfortable in colder environments, while others are more comfortable when it is a few degrees warmer.

Constantly checking your baby’s temperature and observing their general behavior will help you determine when your baby is uncomfortable.

You can check their temperature by simply putting a thumb on their chest. If the temperature is warm and not hot,...

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