How to Dress Your Baby for Sleep
Updated September 2025 · 5 min read
Dress your baby in light, comfortable layers suited to the room temperature — a vest and a sleepsuit, plus a well-fitting sleep sack instead of loose blankets, is a reliable default for a room around 16–20°C. As a rule of thumb, dress your baby in one more light layer than you’d be comfortable in, and check they’re not overheating by feeling the chest or the back of the neck.
- Layer light clothing and use a sleep sack rather than loose blankets.
- Aim for a room around 16–20°C and adjust layers to suit it.
- Dress your baby in about one more light layer than you’d wear.
- Check for overheating at the chest or back of the neck, not the hands.
Start with the room temperature
What your baby wears to sleep depends mostly on how warm the room is. A comfortable range is often cited as around 16–20°C. Rather than guessing, a room thermometer takes the uncertainty out of it.
Think in light layers
Layers let you fine-tune warmth. A typical starting point:
- Warm room (around 20–22°C): a short-sleeved vest or bodysuit, or a vest under a light sleep sack.
- Comfortable room (around 18–20°C): a vest plus a sleepsuit, or a sleepsuit under a light-to-medium sleep sack.
- Cool room (around 16–18°C): a vest, a sleepsuit and a warmer (higher-tog) sleep sack.
These are starting points — every baby and home is different, so adjust to your own.
Use a sleep sack, not loose blankets
A wearable sleep sack (sleeping bag) keeps your baby warm without loose bedding in the cot, which safe-sleep guidance advises against for young babies. Choose one that fits at the neck and shoulders so it can’t slip over the face, and pick the tog rating to match the room.
Avoid overheating
Overheating raises the risk of SIDS, so err on the side of slightly cooler rather than too warm. Check whether your baby is too hot by feeling the chest or the back of the neck — not the hands and feet, which normally feel cooler. If they’re hot, sweaty or their hair is damp, remove a layer.
Skip hats indoors
Babies lose heat through their heads, which helps them regulate temperature, so don’t put a hat on your baby for indoor sleep.
Frequently asked questions
How should I dress my baby for sleep?
In light layers matched to the room temperature u2014 for a room around 16u201320u00b0C, a vest and sleepsuit with a well-fitting sleep sack works well. Use a sleep sack instead of loose blankets, and avoid overheating.
How do I know if my baby is too hot at night?
Feel the chest or the back of the neck rather than the hands and feet. If it feels hot or sweaty, remove a layer. Babiesu2019 hands and feet often feel cool even when theyu2019re comfortable.
Should my baby wear a hat to sleep?
No u2014 babies release heat through their heads to regulate their temperature, so hats arenu2019t recommended for indoor sleep.
Sources
Safe-sleep guidance in this article reflects the recommendations of bodies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the UK’s NHS and The Lullaby Trust. It is general information, not medical advice — always follow the guidance of your own paediatrician, midwife or health visitor.