Raising Children Network: the Australian parenting website
  • Suitable for 0-18Months

Dressing baby for bed

By Raising Children Network
 
 
Babies are likely to become distressed if they are overdressed when put to bed at night.
Changing baby's nappy
 

Getting too hot has been linked with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Heat escapes through your baby’s head and face – make sure they’re not covered so he stays around the right temperature.

Not too hot, not too cold, but just right

  • Your baby can cool himself down only if his head is uncovered. Take off your baby’s hat or bonnet when you go indoors or to any closed or warm space, such as a car. Babies can overheat quickly if they wear hats or bonnets to bed, and headwear can also be a choking hazard.
  • If you use a baby carrier, keep in mind that your baby will be warmed by your body heat as well as by his clothes. 
  • Your child’s hands and feet may feel cool, but this is not a good indication of his temperature. Find out how hot he really is by feeling his back or tummy. 
  • Your baby should be comfortably warm – not hot, sweaty or cold. 
  • Dress him in enough warm clothes to keep him warm without blankets. Once he can roll over, he can get out from under the blankets. 
  • If you dress baby in layers of fitted clothing, you can add or take away layers as the temperature changes. 
  • If his room is too warm, you could use a plug-in floor fan to keep the room at a comfortable temperature – as an added bonus, the ‘white noise' a fan produces might also help block out sudden noises that could wake your baby.

Baby sleeping bags

An infant sleeping bag can be a good option. Before purchase, check that it’s impossible for your baby to slip down into the bag and become completely covered. SIDS and Kids Australia recommends that you use a sleeping bag that has a fitted neck and armholes but no hood.

 
 
 
  • Last reviewed05-05-2006
  • References

    SIDS and Kids, Frequently asked questions. Accessed 11 April 2006 from http://www.sidsandkids.org/documents/FAQSept2005.doc

    Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (2005). The changing concept of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Diagnostic coding shifts, controversies regarding the sleep environment, and new variables to consider reducing risk. Pediatrics, 116, 1245-1255.

    Wilson, C.A., Taylor, B.J., Laing, R.M., Williams, S.M. & Mitchell, E.A. (1994). Clothing and bedding and its relevance to sudden infant death syndrome: Further results from the New Zealand cot death study. Journal or Pediatrics and Child Health, 30, 506-512.

  • AcknowledgementsRCN thanks SIDS and Kids Australia for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this piece.