7 Sleeping Tips for Cold Weather Babies

Cold weather means extra attention to the temperature when your baby goes to sleep. You want to prevent your baby from being cold, but did you know that many people wrap their baby too warmly in the winter. Read 7 sleeping tips for babies with cold weather in this article..

We always think that babies are very bad at cold, but in fact they are even worse at heat. If a baby is cold, you will notice it immediately because he starts to cry. If your baby is too warm, he will show it much less well. For example, a baby will not wake up quickly if he is too hot. It can overheat completely without you noticing. In winter it is not just a matter of dressing your baby nice and warm and putting it under a warm blanket. But what is sensible? These tips will help you!n!

1. Ensure the right temperature in the baby's room

The ideal temperature in the baby's room is around 20 degrees for the first few weeks. If your baby is already a few weeks old, a temperature between 16 and 19 degrees is ideal. Depending on how well insulated your home is, it can get colder in the baby's room in winter. Then feel free to turn on the heating, but also read tip 7!

2. Put a hot water bottle in bed before your baby goes to sleep

If the baby's room is on the cold side, put a hot water bottle or bean bag in the cot before putting your baby to bed. This way the bed is nicely preheated by the time your baby has to go to sleep. NB! Never put a hot water bottle in bed with your baby in it. Certainly not directly next to your baby, but also not elsewhere in the cot. The heat that comes from such a pitcher can be too intense, causing overheating..

3. Choose bed linen and sleepwear with the correct TOG value

At a room temperature between 16 and 19 degrees, a TOG value of 2.5 recommended. You calculate the total TOG value simply by adding up the TOG values of different products. Calculation example: combine a diaper (0.5 TOG) with a romper (0.5 TOG), sleeping bag (1.0 TOG) and sheet (0.5 TOG). Many winter sleeping bags have a TOG value of 3.0. That means they are only suitable in a room where it is relatively cold. Do not combine such a warm winter sleeping bag with even more warmth in the form of sheets or blankets. 

What is TOG and why is it important?
TOG stands for Thermal Overall Grade and this indicates the extent to which clothing and bedding retain heat. The TOG value is specifically used to ensure that babies do not get too hot in the bedroom. It is not legally required to determine the TOG value of baby products, but it is very important to check this! If a child is too warm, heat build-up can occur and this increases the risk of SIDS.

4. Dress your child in thin layers

The TOG value is an important starting point, but every child is different, so it remains important to keep a close eye on what works for your child. It is smart to work with different layers of heat. If your baby is too warm at night, you simply remove 1 of the layers. This prevents you from having to change your baby completely at night, which may make it more difficult for your baby to fall asleep afterwards.mt.

5. Check the temperature in the neck or at the feet

Temperature regulation works differently in babies than in adults. Babies can't sweat yet to cool down and lose heat through the head and hands. If your baby has cold hands, that does not necessarily mean that your baby is cold too! Check the temperature of your baby in the neck or at the feet. Only when these are cold can you conclude that your baby is cold. If the neck and feet feel clammy, your baby is too warm.

6. Don't wear a hat in bed

We already described in tip 5 that a baby loses heat through the head and hands. It is therefore not wise to put on a cap in bed. If your child gets hot, he can at least lose the heat safely through the head. A hat can get in the way of that process, causing your baby to overheat.

7. Never put the cot against the heating

Never place your baby's bed directly against the heating. The heat then rises much too quickly and your baby can overheat. If it is cold in the baby's room, turn on the heating half an hour before your child goes to bed. Place the bed a little way away from the heating, so that the heat can circulate well through the room. Heating can make the air in a room very dry, so pay close attention to the humidity and regularly open a window for the supply of fresh air..

Bonus tip: use it NUNKI sheet? In the winter, put your baby on a warm sleeping bag or put a blanket over the sheet. With only 0.5 TOG, the sheet is the perfect basis to tuck in tight all year round.

Love,

Frederieke