ALL THINGS NEWBORN, BABY, & TODDLER SLEEP
The Blog
Dressing your baby for sleep: Frequently asked questions answered
When it comes to baby sleep, one of the most common concerns parents have is how to dress their little one for bedtime. Is my baby too hot? Too cold? Do they need socks? Should they wear a onesie under their pajamas? And what about blankets—when are those safe to use?
Dressing your baby for sleep is more than just about comfort. It’s also about safety. Overheating has been linked to an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is why it’s so important to make sure your baby is dressed appropriately for the temperature of their sleep environment. At the same time, you want to ensure your baby is at the ideal temperature and not too hot or too cold to sleep soundly through the night.
Since so many parents have questions about this topic, I’ve put together a comprehensive FAQ guide to help you navigate how to dress your baby for safe and comfortable sleep.
How to drop the swaddle for sleep
If you know me, then you know I love me a good swaddle! Swaddling can make such a difference for a newborn’s sleep. But, there’s also a time and place to stop swaddling. And that can feel big and scary. Perhaps you’ve just finally gotten to a place with your baby’s sleep where things are leveling out. If that’s the case, the idea of now dropping the swaddle and throwing sleep back into chaos can feel like the worst decision you could make. Or maybe sleep has really never gotten better for you and the thought of now making it potentially worse by dropping the swaddle almost seems like too much to bear.
Whether you and your baby are getting good sleep or not, transitioning away from the swaddle just never seems like a fun option. But I promise, it doesn’t have to be such a scary transition. Dropping the swaddle is simply an adjustment that your baby will make and within about a week, sleep will be back to normal!
