Top tips for keeping baby cool whilst sleeping this summer.
One concern I seem to constantly have with my son, Will, is the fear of him feeling either too hot or too cold while he is sleeping. We all want our little ones to sleep well and safely, so this is one thing I find myself obsessing over as I find it hard to gauge whether he is at a comfortable temperature. This is what inspired me to put together this summer sleeping bag post now that summer has officially arrived.
Having curtains or blackout blinds installed in your child’s room is not only a great way to keep the room dark but they also prevent the suns rays from entering and warming up the room. You may try the Groanywhere Blind, this blocks out the harmful UV rays and offers complete blackout for a more restful baby sleep. Another great tip I recently read was not to open your blinds each morning but instead leave them closed. It tends to cool down overnight, so by not opening the blinds you will keep the cool air in and prevent the room warming up too much during the day.
A little trick I tend to do at night after those scorching hot summer days, is open the windows and doors on both ends of the house. This allows a nice breeze to flow in and cool my house down, as well as letting the hot air escape in the process.
If your child sleeps upstairs with no air conditioner, I’m guessing most of you (like myself) use a fan. A great tip for those hot days is to leave a wet towel or cloth over a clothes airer or chair in front of the fan, so the fan air blows through the wet sheet. This acts as an air conditioner blowing cool air to the cot and is a great technique to keep them cool for a day sleep when it’s a boiling hot day.
Helping you keep an eye on the temperature of your babies room, Gro Company have created the Gro Egg. The Gro Egg monitors and displays the temperature of your babies’ room.
Now, lets move on to summer sleeping bags. In my opinion the two most important things to look for when shopping for a baby sleeping bag is the TOG rating as well as the material used. See below for a breakdown of some important facts to assist you with purchasing the correct sleeping bag this summer for your baby or toddler.
Sleep Bag TOG rating facts:
The TOG describes the warmth or “Thermal Resistance” of a product. So basically, the higher the TOG, the warmer the sleeping bag. Sleeping bags with a rating of 1.0 tog or below are ideal for spring/summer use.
For room temperatures around 21-23 degrees it is recommended you use a 1.0 tog and for room temperatures of 24-27 degrees use a 0.5 tog If you are looking at Merino bags, you will not find a TOG rating as they are made from a natural fiber, which adjusts according to the temperature. For these products we recommend that you speak with the brand directly to ensure you are purchasing the right product for your temperature zone.
Sleep Bag Size:
Sleeping bags are generally available in 3 sizes: 0-6 months, 6-18 months and 18-36 months. It is critical you choose the correct size for your baby/toddler for safety reasons, you need to ensure that your babies head can not pass through the neck opening.
For example: You may think it’s better value to buy a size ‘he/she will grow into’ but keep in mind professionals consider this unsafe. Your baby may slide round inside the sleeping bag causing them to put their arm through the neck hole, which can lead to injury and/or choking.
Swaddling
Newborns 0-4 months are in what is called the swaddling stage. Use a light swaddle designed for Summer and 24+ degrees. Look for those made from organic breathable cotton with a 2-way zip for easy access.
The Swaddle UP™ Summer Lite is made from ultra sheer & cool fabric that is 30% lighter than the Swaddle UP™ Original fabric. And because the Swaddle UP™ Summer Lite uses only a single layer of fabric, it is significantly lighter than wrapping your baby with a muslin cloth.
Baby Sleep Bags
Sleeping bags are used for ages 4-36 Months. For summer is it suggested to use a 0.5 or 0.1 tog sleeping bag.
The ErgoPouch 0.3 TOG is made from Organic Cotton, making it beautiful and lite for sleep in the warmer temps. Skin-friendly, super soft – 400+ thread count 95% Organic Cotton inserts blended with 5% elastane in the sides and top allow natural movement.
Love To Dream have created a summer baby sleeping bag called the Swaddle UP™ Bamboo Lite, which is a 30% lighter fabric than the Original making it cooler for summer. It comes in Coral and Ocean colours.
“For summer the sleeping bag should be 100% cotton these bags are generally summer/spring weight, as they have no polyester. Aden & Anais for example use 100% Muslin cotton.” – Melbourne Mothercraft nurse
Plum baby sleeping bags have a wide selection of baby sleeping bags with a TOG of 0.5 and 1.0. This award winning brand is also featured on the SIDS website.
The Grobag by Tommee Tippee (who acquired the manufacturer, The Gro Company in 2018) are the original Baby Sleep Bag. Grobag worked closely with The Lullaby Trust, (formerly FSID) a charity working to promote Safer Sleep for babies and support for families. Each Grobag comes with a free nursery thermometer and guide of what to wear. The Grobag has two summer tog ratings: 0.5tog and 1.0tog.
Once you choose the brand and style you would like to buy you can then click into the brands sizing chart as they usually provide a garment guide. This suggests the type of garment to put underneath each sleeping bag for each TOG category.
TIP: Ensure it has local recommendations for temperature as if it isn’t the recommendation might be slightly inaccurate, as we do tend to have a warmer climate here than in the UK and Europe.
I do hope this post has helped you on your journey to find a sleeping bag for your newborn this summer. If you’re ever stuck on the correct safety standards or wish to ask about your specific home environment, contact your local health nurse or even a Mothercraft nurse. And please check out our other posts on creating a safer sleep environment for your infant.
For online safe sleeping tips visit www.sidsandkids.org.
