How to cover baby at night?

It is not always easy for young parents to know how to cover their baby at night: will they be too hot, too cold? It depends on several factors, including their age, the time of year, and the temperature of their room. Follow our tips so that your child can have a peaceful and comfortable night, whether in winter or summer.

How to dress baby for sleep according to the temperature?

Until around the age of one, children have difficulty regulating their temperature and cannot clearly express their discomfort. For their well-being, you should be able to easily check the room temperature: make sure to always leave a thermometer in your baby’s room, and place it ideally away from the heater and windows to avoid skewing the measurement. You can also choose a baby monitor with a function to display the ambient temperature. Some devices even have an alarm to alert you if the temperature is too high or too low.

How to dress a baby for the night during winter?

In winter, the temperature of a child's room should ideally be between 18 and 20 degrees. Your baby should be well covered: dress them in a long-sleeved bodysuit, a pajama, and a sleeveless sleeping bag. Below 17 degrees, you can also add a small pair of socks. If the room is really cold, below 16 degrees, consider covering their head with a cotton hat. However, if the temperature is above 20 degrees, opt for a short-sleeved bodysuit under their pajamas instead of a long-sleeved one.

To ensure your child stays warm throughout the night, it is important to choose the sleeping bag based on its TOG rating. Sleeping bags have a value ranging from TOG 0.5 to TOG 4, depending on their thermal capacity. The higher the TOG, the warmer the child will be. This value, which is not mandatory, is often indicated by the manufacturer and takes into account different factors such as the thickness of the wadding and the type of fabric. In winter, if the room temperature is below 20 degrees, it is better to choose a sleeping bag with a TOG rating higher than 2.

How to dress a baby for sleep during summer?

When the temperature rises, you should, of course, adjust your baby's clothing to prevent night awakenings. If the temperature in their room is over 22 degrees, forget the bodysuit: a light cotton pajama and a sleeping bag with a TOG rating of 0.5 will be sufficient. Between 24 and 25 degrees, you can even replace the pajama with a simple short-sleeved bodysuit.

How to dress a baby for sleep during a heatwave? If the room temperature exceeds 26 degrees, it's best to let your child sleep in just their diaper, without a sleeping bag, so they don't get too hot. In extreme heat, babies can quickly become dehydrated.

When to switch from a sleeping bag to a duvet?

At what age can a baby sleep without a sleeping bag? Pediatricians recommend not using a duvet before the age of 18 months to prevent any risk of suffocation. It is even possible to use a sleeping bag until around the age of 3, as some models measure up to 110 cm. If your child feels comfortable in their sleeping bag, there is no reason to change their habits. It remains the ideal solution if they move a lot during the night, as you can be sure they will stay covered until morning.

It is likely that your child will let you know when it is time to switch to a duvet. For example, if they can remove their sleeping bag on their own, despite the pressure and zippers, it means it is no longer suitable.

The transition from a sleeping bag to a duvet may also be linked to important milestones in the child's life. Moving from a crib to a big kid's bed is often the moment to swap the sleeping bag for a duvet. During potty training, the child may also need to get up during the night, and a duvet becomes more practical.

It is better to switch to a duvet during summer nights rather than in winter, as your child may tend to uncover themselves in the beginning.