Whether you are reading up on the subject to prepare for when your first child arrives or have been struggling with your baby not sleeping well at night, how you dress a baby for bed is a topic well-worth learning about. Since babies can’t properly regulate their body temperature on their own, it is on you as the parent to make sure they are appropriately dressed at night. Read on to learn about the ideal baby room temperature, Australian seasonal clothing tips, the dos and don’ts of how to dress a baby for bed.
Temperature guide for dressing babies at night in Australia
How you dress a baby for bed in Australia year-round will vary depending on where you live, as the inside temperature of our homes will be very different. While more and more houses in Australia now have air-conditioning and complete insulation from the cold, many are still affected by the weather outside. If this is the case for you, it means that the temperature in your home, and therefore the room where your baby sleeps, changes with the outside temperature. With hot, steamy, humid nights in the North and the Top End, temperature drastically dropping at night in the outback, and colder winters in the South and Tasmania, it is only logical that a baby in Darwin won’t be put to bed that night with the same clothing as a little one in Hobart will.
As a parent, it’s important you know how your home is affected by the outside conditions. The ideal baby room temperature in Australia is considered to be between 16ºC and 20ºC. Do you know the inside temperature of your home at night and if it stays in that range?
While you can trust your instincts and the general guidelines in this article for how to dress a baby for bed, we recommend you take the time to measure the room temperature through the varying seasons if you want to make your decision based on facts.
Safely dress your baby for sleep
If you are reading this article, you are probably somewhat concerned you are not dressing your baby for sleep correctly. Most new parents only know to worry about their baby being cold at night, but the risk of overheating is just as dangerous for your little one. Even though toddlers are more capable of autonomously regulating their body temperature than newborns, you still have a primary role in ensuring their safety at night. What you want to avoid is your little one:
- Overheating — Studies have linked a higher chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with babies that get too hot while sleeping. A baby who is too warm may have damp hair, be sweaty and flushed and have a quickened pulse.
- Getting cold — When babies are cold, their tiny bodies struggle to restore optimal body temperature and they have a higher risk of developing an illness. A lethargic baby, hard to wake up and not interested in feeding, might be suffering from the cold. Check your child’s temperature by feeling the baby’s back and tummy.
How to dress a baby for bed in Australia
So, now that you know the importance of appropriate sleepwear, let’s look more closely at how to dress your baby for bed. You may be familiar with the general rule of thumb “one more layer than you”. The reason behind this saying is that babies should not sleep with loose blankets, which are a suffocation hazard. The most common practice is to dress a baby in a sleep suit or nightwear similar to what you are wearing and then add a swaddle or wrap to keep them cozy, safe and at the right temperature. Our seasonal recommendations and outfit suggestions are:
- How to dress a baby for sleep in summer
For an average summer night of 23ºC, pick cool clothing made from breathable materials. A cute bedtime option for solving the question of how to dress a newborn in summer is to match a sleeveless, short legs button pocket onesie with our rainbow snuggle suit in yellow — your baby will be both fresh and comfortable in this sweet and cheerful ensemble.
- How to dress a baby for bed in spring and autumn
If you take the average spring and autumn temperature to be around 18.5ºC, then you really want to keep your baby cosy in premium soft fabrics. Why not add some seasonal touches such as a floral swaddle to layer a short sleeve, short leg onesie for a chiller night?
- How to dress a baby for sleep in winter
With the average winter temperature in Australia being 13ºC and many parts of the country experiencing much lower readings, layering is key when it comes to deciding what your baby should wear to sleep in winter. Start with a bodysuit under a comfy long sleeve and a long-armed onesie, like our irresistible double button onesie, and add a warm snuggle suit to keep your bubba well protected.
A warning for all parents
Even though headbands and beanies are some of the cutest accessories you can find in a baby’s wardrobe, you should leave them out of the bedroom and save them for outings and photo sessions. Babies should sleep on their back, with their face and head uncovered and without any objects in their cot that can be a risk to their airways.
Find the cutest baby sleep suits and nighttime clothing at Urban Bubs
When shopping for premium baby clothing for nap and bedtime, you will find everything you are looking for at Urban Bubs. Comfortable and breathable, pop your little one into our onesies or playsuits and make your baby cozy in our swaddles and wraps for a restful night of uninterrupted sleep.
If you have any other questions about how to dress a baby for bed in Australia or would like a hand choosing the best products for your bubba in our range, please get in touch with us. We would love nothing more than to answer all your questions and help you and your baby have the best night’s rest.