It’s getting cold out there, and if you’re like us- you’re switching out the cotton jammies for fleece ones! During this season I get LOTS of questions about how to dress your baby for sleep during cold weather months. We’ve done some digging and found there are MANY options for baby, toddler and older children to wear sleep sacks that are perfect for cold weather! We’re sharing some below, and as always- tell us what your little one likes in the comments!
THE IDEAL ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR SLEEP
Before we share all the links, let’s first start off by understanding the ideal temperature for our sleep environment. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 60-67 degrees for adults and children and 68-72 degrees for babies and toddlers. Whether this is cool air or heat, not EVERY room in the house may retain what the thermostat reads. In many cases my clients live in old homes, and some rooms (including baby’s!) may be cooler/warmer than the rest of the house. In order to properly read your child’s room, I highly suggest not relying on the monitor screen alone! You may consider a separate thermometer (like this one) to keep in your child’s room.
HOW TO LAYER YOUR CHILD FOR SLEEP
Once you understand the temperature of your child’s room, use this chart below from SlumberSac to best understand how to dress your baby for sleep in winter. The chart refers to TOG, which stands for “thermal overall grade” – the higher the TOG the warmer the sleep sack is. The clothing in the chart is a recommendation of what to wear UNDER the sleep sack with the correct TOG description of sleep sack to wear on top of the layers. Read the temperatures at the top from the thermometer in your child’s room and dress appropriately.
Sleep Sacks For Cold Weather
From newborn to 6 YEARS OLD we’ve rounded up some of the best cold weather sleep sacks. It’s also important to remember that a sleep sack is perfectly fine for your child as they learn to roll, crawl and walk around. Many families are curious if they should stop using sleep sacks at a certain age. Honestly, it’s 100% up to you!! If your child isn’t interested in keeping a blanket on, a sleep sack is a great alternative!
1- SlumberSac Reversible & Detachable Sleeves for ages 0-10 years ($44 on SlumberSac)
2- Halo Micro-Fleece for babies 6-16lbs (prices vary by color on Amazon)
3- Woolino: Body Temperature Regulated, one size ($99 on Amazon)
4- SleepSack Detachable Sleeves w/ Feet for ages 6mo-6 years ($44 on SlumberSac)
5- TILLYOU Fleece Plush for 0-3 Months ($12 on Amazon)
6- Baby DeeDee Quilted Sleep Sack for sizes 0-36MO (From $38 on Amazon)
Have a family favorite sleep sack for winter? Drop your comments below! There’s so many to choose from out there!
Stay warm, ya’ll!
Becca Campbell
Your Pediatric Sleep Consultant
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I’m still a little confused. Where do footie pj’s come in? My baby’s nursery is between 66-68 in the winter. I’ve been putting him in a long sleeve onesie, cotton footies and a 1.0 TOG sleep sack. Can I do just the onesie and a 2.5 sleep sack, is that what the chart is saying? Or can I just do a onesie and fleece footies with no sleep bag?!
Hi Haley!! Great question. My girls weren’t sleep sack fans, so yes I did just the footie fleece pjs for them in the colder months! So if you’re not using a sleep sack those footed pajamas would be good! In those layers it sounds like you’re getting it right on point!
My child hates sleep sacs. Where do I find the proper dress for that. I do and undershirt, socks and a fleece footie PJ.
The room sits around 68 degrees.
Hey Denise!! My girls weren’t sleep sack fans either, and we always did the footed fleece PJs. There are some of these (by SlumberSac) that have legs on them, so that could be an option. But as long as your little one’s upper chest is feeling warm (not sweaty or chilly) you’ve probably nailed it with the layers!!
Awesome!! Thank you for sharing, Megan!!!
I can’t find a TOG for the zipadee zip sleep sack. My little guy is always in pjs and the zippadee zip and our room is usually between 66-68
Hey! I did some looking and just found this from Zipadee Zip…
"Every baby regulates their body heat differently so please use your best judgement. If you’re unsure, we suggest that you mimic your own layers depending on the temperature of your house and nursery.
Some babies sleep with light PJs underneath while others simply wear their diaper underneath the Zipadee-Zip!
If your baby seems colder, or if you live in a colder climate, do not use a loose blanket to add warmth. Instead, we suggest either using a Fleece Zipadee-Zip or adding layers under the regular Zipadee-Zip for added coziness."
You can probably always email their customer service to ask as well!!
Halo’s website isn’t very specific. My baby wears their fleece sleep sack. I normally put her in fleece pjs with the sleep sack on top. Her room is 68-70. Is this too much? Should I just do cotton footed pajamas? She sleeps 12 hours thanks to Little Z’s!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼