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by Katie Hodgkins

Safe Infant Sleep In Winter

With the colder months approaching, many of us are starting to think about the best ways to keep our babies warm enough at night!

This topics brings a whole host of factors to consider. We’ll be taking a look at the evidence based guidance from The Lullaby Trust and the NHS to help you out!

  • What is the ideal bedroom temperature?
  • How warm is too warm?
  • How can I keep my baby the ideal temperature at night during winter?
  • Should baby wear a hat to bed?

What is the ideal bedroom temperature?

The Lullaby Trust advises that the best temperature for a nursery is between 16-20 degrees Celcius; not too cold, and not too hot. It’s important that your baby doesn’t get too warm because overheating is a SIDS risk factor.

How warm is too warm?

Anything above 20 degrees Celsius is considered too warm for a safe sleep environment. To ensure your baby isn’t too warm, the Lullaby Trust advises;

  • Feel their tummy or the back of their neck – if they’re sweaty, remove a layer of clothing/bedding.
  • Don’t worry about cooler hands and feet, this is perfectly normal.

How can I keep my baby the ideal temperature at night during winter?

The NHS and Lullaby Trust both advise using lightweight fitted bedding, in layers, rather than a single very thick/warm piece of bedding – a folded blanked classes as 2 layers. A well fitting sleeping bag is a great choice too – those sold by the Gro Company are officially endorsed by the Lullaby Trust! We’ve picked out 2.5 tog examples but you can find plenty of 1 tog examples here*.

Find the Jungle Stacks Grobag here*.

Find the Starry Night Grobag 2 Pack here*.

Find the Jungle Boogie Grobag here*.

You could also consider a Gro Egg! This device helps parents to keep track of the temperature of a bedroom/nursery, and it comes with many rave recommendations from our parenting community.

Find one here*. You can get an adorable penguin cover for it here*!

Click to see more.

It’s also advised to…

  • Not put the cot by a radiator, fire, heater or window, or in direct sunlight.
  • Don’t put a hot water bottle, electric blanket etc in the cot.
  • If using a fan for any reason, don’t point it at baby.
  • Ensure baby feeds well so is well hydrated.
  • Don’t keep the heating on all night.
  • Don’t put baby to bed wearing a hat (we’ll cover this in the next section).
  • Use fewer layers than usual if your baby is unwell.
  • Keep baby in your sleep environment until at least 6 months of age.
  • Keep the cot empty – the safe sleep guidelines can be read here.

Why Shouldn’t baby wear a hat to bed?

The Lullaby Trust and the NHS both point out that a baby’s head is really important for releasing extra body heat and maintaining their overall body temperature. Layering clothing and bedding and maintaining a good temperature in the bedroom is considered sufficient for keeping baby cosy.

Hats can also come loose, posing a potential hazard as they can cover your baby’s airways in the night.


We hope that this guide has been helpful!

Love from Katie & Team BBY. Xx

(Affiliate links are marked with an asterix)

Katie Hodgkins Image
I'm Katie, and I'm a mama, wife, and freelance content creator for Bump, Baby & You. I also help to run our thriving online community over in our Facebook support group, as well as volunteering for my local branch of the National Childbirth Trust. I'm a busy bee and enjoy keeping active, cooking, writing, and fun days out with my little family. My special topics of interest are... autism (as me and my son are both autistic), science, all things parenting and pregnancy related, and The Handmaids Tale!
Ready to get in touch?
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