Between the fear of covering him up too much and the fear that he will catch a cold in the early morning, dressing his baby for the night can sometimes prove to be a real headache for parents, especially when the temperatures drop or rise sharply. Our tips for finding the right balance and ensuring a safe and peaceful sleep.

In the context of the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome in particular, the temperature recommended for the baby’s room is around 19 ° C. It may sound cool, but it’s the perfect temperature for adults as well. It is therefore advisable to invest in a quality thermometer to check the temperature of the baby’s room. 

In a room at 19 ° C, the baby can withstand three layers of clothing: 

• a long-sleeved cotton bodysuit

Also for safety reasons, quilts, blankets and other sheets are in fact not recommended for infants. With a sleeping bag, there is no risk of suffocation, and baby stays well covered all night.

When the thermometer goes down in winter, it is on the materials that it will be necessary to play more than the number of layers of clothing. If the temperature in the room is particularly cool (16-17 ° C), a wool and cotton bodysuit will bring a little more warmth to the baby. Also be sure to adapt the choice of sleeping bag, by opting for a winter model, in fleece for example. Some have removable sleeves, convenient to adapt according to the temperature of the room. 

If temperatures drop below 16 ° C, it is important to warm the extremities of the baby with a small woolen cap and socks. 

If he does 20-22 ° C in the baby’s room, it is advisable to lighten the baby’s outfit a little so that he does not get too hot. Swap the long-sleeved bodysuit for a short-sleeved bodysuit, and terrycloth pajamas for light cotton pajamas. 

Between 22-24 ° C, baby can endure a cotton bodysuit with short sleeves and light cotton pajamas, or a long sleeve bodysuit and a light summer sleeping bag (made of cotton gas or honeycomb). 

When temperatures exceed 25-26 ° C at night, parents can store the sleeping bag, even light, in the closet. Ditto for the pajamas: we leave the baby in a small bodysuit or t-shirt and diaper. Avoid synthetic materials which make you sweat and risk irritating the baby’s fragile skin, and prefer natural materials such as cotton of course, or even linen and bamboo. The latter is particularly appreciated by babies since it is soft and absorbs perspiration well, while letting the skin breathe. Choose simple and loose clothes, without elastic at the level of the belly, and wash them with a special baby detergent, without fabric softener. With the heat, it is better to limit all chemicals as much as possible, heat rash quickly occurs. Also, be careful not to over tighten the diaper and put it as low as possible at stomach level. 

On the other hand, it is not recommended to leave the baby naked, with only his diaper: he would risk catching cold when the temperature drops in the early morning. In addition, the infant does not appreciate being covered, he needs to feel protected. A layer of clothing will also absorb his perspiration and thus prevent him from catching a cold.

To note that some babies need to feel contained more than others. This allows them to channel their movements (Moro reflex in particular) which can prevent them from finding a peaceful sleep. If the weather is hot, it is possible to opt for a very thin sleeping bag, special summer (cotton muslin or honeycomb for example) and leave it in a layer underneath.

The baby’s sleep is prepared in the morning. As it happens during a heat wave, it is recommended to leave the shutters and curtains of the baby’s room closed during the day, in order to keep the freshness. We only open in the early morning and in the evening, when the temperatures drop, to bring fresh air and renew it by making drafts (in the absence of the baby). And if his room is not the coolest place in the house, never mind: while the heat wave lasts, the crib can be moved to another, cooler room. 

If necessary, it is possible to postpone bedtime by 20 to 30 minutes in order to take advantage of the evening heat, but it is better to avoid putting baby to bed after 21 p.m., as he may be too disturbed in his little routine. To refresh it at bedtime, a trick is to give it a lukewarm bath (35 ° C, not below). The idea is simply to soak it to lower its body temperature, not to wash it and even less to make it play in its bath: the time is calm before bedtime. Be careful to dry it well after this refreshing bath, the infant quickly catches cold wet skin. 

To cool the room before bedtime, it is possible to run a fan directed at bottles of cold water. However, leaving the air conditioning or a fan running in the presence of the baby is not recommended: they diffuse air that is much too dry for his still fragile mucous membranes. In addition, the infant would risk catching cold: it should always be borne in mind that he is very sensitive to temperature variations. If, however, this is the only solution to keep the room cool, use them sparingly, be careful not to direct the air towards the baby, and for air conditioning, change the filters very regularly.