How to dress baby for sleep during summer?

[AJC]

Ok - first time Mum here so am a little nervous but how would you dress your baby for sleep (incl wraps & blankets) during summer? We have a split system air con in our lounge room which does cool the bedrooms a little but they never get too cool. We have him sleeping in the king parrot bassinet in his room or ours (right next to each other). I just don't want to overheat him but I don't want him to be cold either. Any help or feedback will be great, thanks!

[danniellabella]

I'm a first time mum too. I don't know about new borns like your but my DD is almost 10 months and when it's really hot I'll probably just have her in a nappy and singlet.

[Beach Mama]

I have a 2 month old and on hot nights we have him in just a nappy and a light muslin wrap. Having said that we haven't had any super hot nights yet but they have been pretty warm. I tend to dress him down and I add light blankets overnight if it gets cooler and I think he might get cold. Last year Izzy was 6 mths and not wrapped anymore so it was much easier, she would be in a nappy and light sleeping bag and on very hot nights just in a singlet and nappy. HtH.

[Ezz]

I was pretty much going to say what Tan said! Nappy & singlet (plus wrap if you are wrapping). You can always add light blankets through the night if it gets cold. We usually put a blanket over DS when we go to bed (becuase it has cooled down by then)

[AJC]

THanks for the help guys. I just wasn't sure seeing as he was 5 weeks premmie (and sometimes they need to be that little bit warmer than full term bubs). I've been dressing him in singlet, nappy, short sleeve cotton 1pc suit, muslin wrap and cotton sheet over the top. We have had the air con on so I didn't want him to get cold. I feel his chest and he doesn't feel too warm so hopefully what I'm doing is ok. We have an apt at the childhood centre next week so I might check with them too.

[Shanti]

AJC - you sound like you're doing a great job
Most babies will let you know if they are hot or cold and they'll cry to let you know. I would probably just have singlet, nappy and a cotton wrap snuggly around him. And the aircon not too cold..... comfortable 24 degrees perhaps?
Although i've read babies rooms can be 18 degrees and they are comfortable but that just seems too cold to me!!!?

[tannedangel]

My DD sleeps with just a singlet (but the romper singlets so they dont ride up) and I put a blankie over her but she moves around so much she kicks it off, so generally its just the singlet for us for summer.

[LuluHB]

DD#2 is in a long sleeved bodysuit and a light sleeping bag. When it gets really hot (like its supposed to over the next week here) she will have just the long sleeved bodysuit with a sheet over her. When it is very hot we have the aircon set at 26 but I still find that her little arms end up quite chilled from the cool air flow.

With no aircon I would be putting her to bed in just a nappy and short sleeved bodysuit.

[hj1981]

Hey Georgi!
We put Bianca in a singlet, and nappy on hot nights and than she is wrapped in a muslin wrap and a cotton sheet on top. Other nights she might where a one piece suit or a t-shirt.
If little Byron isnt complaining than he must be comfortable with what u are doing! He will certainly let u know otherwise

[MrsB26]

AJC - firstly congrats hun!

Well we both live in Newie so we are experiencing the same weather with a newborn. I dress Byron in a singlet, light sleevless and legless jumpsuit and he loves to be wrapped tight so i am wrapping him in a strechy cotton wrap (kinda like soft t-shirt material). He is sleeping in our room in the bassinette which is right up close to our bed. We also have a split a/c and it only cools down the room abit also.

When he wakes for a feed i usually check to see how hot he is and he is more often than not fine. I also worry about over heating him but i figure that if he was too hot or too cold then he would probably fuss alot more

[Gigi]

AJC - babies do experience temps different to adults, so i think you are right to ask.

maybe ask Parents Helpline or child youth health nurse for advice, what is a good sleeping temp for baby? put a thermometer in baby's room so you can check what the room temp is, if that will put your mind at ease.

the layered approach is good, cos you can always take one layer off, if needed.

uncovered limbs i think are tricky, cos in the middle of the night, when the air temp drops, a baby won't cover themselves up like we would.

sleeveless sleeping bags (with a loose tee underneath) take care of kicking off sheets, and i think are safer than sheets anyhoo - well, you may swaddle baby in a muslin wrap and therefore have no need for sleeping bag anyhoo. we swaddled using muslin in 40 degrees heat, no a/c, just a fan.

check baby before you go to bed, if you get up in the night to go to the loo.
feel their temple against the back of your fingers, if they are sweaty, take a layer off?

i think natural fibres for bedding and clothing are good for breathability

synthetic fibres trap heat alot, esp not good in summer.

overheating is not good for a baby, and makes it harder for them to sleep too.

[AJC]

Thanks for the further advice. Mrs B26, the weather has been awful hasn't it. So humid! I've been thinking along the same lines as you so I feel a little better now.

[*Efjay*]

I was told that you count the layers you have on & add one.
So if you have a t shirt & shorts & say just the top sheet, then bub should have similar plus a blanket.
Same rule for winter.