How should you dress your child for sleep in a 22 degree room?

The temperature we prefer for sleep depends on the UK climate we’re used to and our individual comfort levels. In the UK, a bedroom set between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius is often considered ideal for children’s night-time sleep.

You might think a three degree difference does not matter much. Yet even among adults some feel perfectly comfortable at 22 degrees, while their partner lowers it to 20 degrees and they immediately feel cold. We can notice even a one degree change.

If the temperature is a given, we can match it with clothing. Grown ups easily choose the pyjamas that feel right, but for children, especially those who cannot speak yet, it is not so simple. Babies cannot tell you if they are cold, or if they want to uncover because they are too warm. That is why we need to check them regularly to understand how their bodies respond.

How to check if your child is cold or too warm during sleep 

It used to be thought that hands and feet showed whether a baby was cold. Today this is not the recommendation, because it is not reliable. Simply touch the skin at the back of the neck and the upper back and observe. If the skin is warm and damp, they have sweated. A damp patch of hair at the nape can show this too. If the skin feels cool, they are cold. Based on this, add a light layer or dress a little more lightly.

Newborns need one extra layer

To understand why, think about how temperature regulation works. The body produces heat through cell metabolism and loses heat through radiation and evaporation, constantly reacting to environmental temperature effects, which can be extreme at times.

Newborns and premature babies cannot yet regulate well. We need to help them maintain a relatively steady warmth so they do not chill or overheat. Even many young infants warm up easily because they sweat less, produce more heat and retain more heat.

So dress newborns and premature babies in one more layer than older infants and keep the room at about 23 to 24 degrees for a few weeks. If you want babywear you can trust to help with temperature regulation, bamboo fibre pieces are worth knowing. This material lends garments a quality that cools in summer and warms in winter.

What can cause night time problems?

• Room temperature fluctuations

• Body temperature changes at night

• Humidity shifts, so comfort changes

• Individual needs of the child

• Baby kicks off the blanket

What do we recommend to solve these?

• We cannot set our environment to a perfectly fixed temperature. Clothing can correct for warming or cooling. To avoid constantly changing layers, bamboo fibre babywear is a good solution thanks to its temperature regulating properties. It balances external changes well.
• Body temperature naturally changes at night. It is lower in the evening as we fall asleep and higher towards morning. Just as with changes in room air, bamboo fibre as a clothing base handles internal fluctuations well too.
• Watch humidity near the cot. For children, 60 to 70 percent is optimal. It affects how warm we feel: higher feels warmer, lower feels cooler. Humidify if needed.
• We as parents need to learn our child’s individual needs. This will develop if we check regularly at first whether they are too warm or too cold.

• Use a sleeping bag instead of a blanket for as long as possible, and at least until your child can cover and uncover independently. That way you are not lying half awake worrying whether they are cold. If your child is already toddling - and sometimes earlier in the crawling phase - choose a toddler sleeping bag, which lets them move easily before bedtime and after waking.

LiaaBébé babywear suggestions for sleeping in a 22 degree room 

At a comfortable 22 degrees, you do not need lots of layers. A long sleeve bodysuit with a sleeping bag will be suitable. If the points above matter to you, try LiaaBébé bamboo fibre babywear.

You can choose from sizes 56 to 98, in beautiful boy and girl colours and prints. If you enjoy building tasteful outfits, you will find unique shades and patterns that match beautifully. Have you had dino dots, orchid purple, or marigold yellow yet These bright colours are ones children will recognise and love.

LiaaBébé bodysuits are extremely stretchy, almost growing with your child, and very hard wearing, so be ready not to need new ones for a good while. If you have met babywear that goes stiff after washing, you do not need to worry here. You will find softness that is comfortable for your child to wear.

Our sleeping bags come in matching colours and prints to the bodysuits and in several warmth levels, indicated by TOG on every product. For 22 degrees, 1.5 TOG is recommended. You will find this among our baby sleeping bags up to 74 or 80 size, and when your child outgrows that, you can move to a toddler sleeping bag. In this, little ones can walk and crawl after waking.

And do not forget pyjamas. Older children often like a big kid outfit. You will find comfortable styles with a higher waist and longer hem, which help keep the lower back covered. Our children’s pyjamas come in 98 to 122 sizes. Curious about colours Think red, green, peach blossom, purple, brown, white with stars and blue with sharks.

You can also read a previous article from us with more general guidance to get you started.

Sources:

NHS — Baby safer sleep advice

The Lullaby Trust — Your baby’s room temperature