Tips On Dressing Your Baby For Bed-Time

One of the many worries parents tend to fret about is whether their little one is dressed properly for sleep. There are dangers that come with both bundling a baby in clothes and dressing them down for sleeptime. Aside from the dangers, babies tend to cry the entire night if not dressed right for bed; it could be that it's too hot, too cold or perhaps the outfit they have on is uncomfortable. To keep your baby safe from the many risks of wrong bed-time outfit choices and sound asleep during the nights, we at OETEO bring you tips on how to dress your baby for sleep so you and your little one can enjoy snoozing the night away without any worries.

 

Check The Room Temperature

Before we touch on what clothing pieces to avoid dressing your baby in for sleep, you will first need to check the temperature in your baby's room. Now, you can always use a thermostat to determine the accurate temperature reading of your baby's room. If we were to get technical, the ideal room temperature for babies ranges from 20 to 22 degree celsius but you don't need a thermostat to regulate the temperature in your baby’s room. A simple tip is to get a feel of the temperature in the room, if it's too warm, you can use a floor or ceiling fan to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. The safest place for a plug-in floor fan is on the opposite side of the room, away from your baby. If your baby’s room is too cold, you can use a heater to warm the room to a more comfortable temperature. Keep the door slightly open, so that your baby’s room doesn’t overheat. Remember to never use electric blankets or hot water bottles to warm your baby during the colder seasons.

 

Hats And Beanies Are A Big No-No!

Babies control their temperature predominantly through their head and faces which is why their heads should never be covered with any sort of hats when they are asleep. We also suggest putting your baby on their back so their face is left uncovered. No matter how cold the weather may be, always remember to remove head coverings for sleep and use swaddles instead. Swaddling is beneficial and calming, all the while being a safe and secure way to add an extra layer of warmth for your sleeping baby. It keeps their limbs more secure and stops their hands and arms from hitting their faces while sleeping, the swaddle helps many babies get longer and more restful stretches of sleep. However, some babies absolutely refuse being swaddled and that's completely normal so opt for sheets or blankets but make sure they are firmly tucked in to prevent your baby from wriggling out of it.

 

Layer Clothing Pieces Accordingly

Instead of dressing your baby in thick fleece jammies, use clothing pieces as layers. This makes it far easier to cool down or warm up your baby and all it takes is to either remove or put on layers. When dressing your newborn in layers for bed, the general rule of thumb is to dress your baby in one additional layer than what you would be comfortable wearing at night in that room. Another tip is to choose clothing pieces that are easy to remove, you don't want to be fumbling over annoying buttons in the middle of the night just to change your baby's diaper. Keep in mind that it’s always better to have a baby slightly underdressed than heavily overdressed. Bundling a baby in lots of layers can easily lead to the danger of overheating and has been linked to a greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

 

Snug Clothes For A Sound Sleep

When choosing sleepwear for your baby, make sure they fit your baby well. The clothes should be snug but not tight or loose, clothes that are overly snug can constrain your baby and cause blood circulation to become cut off whereas loose clothes can fail to cover them properly and even lead to suffocation if it gets over your baby's head or neck. Snug-fitting clothes are also exempt from flammability requirements as they are naturally flame-retardant. The reason behind this is because of the lack of air between the clothes and the skin of your baby, making it safer from catching on fire when exposed to a flame.

 

As long as you have these tips at hand, dressing your baby for sleep doesn’t need to be something to lose sleep over. We hope this helps you and your baby sleep soundly tonight.