How to Keep Your Baby Safe and Cosy in the Colder Months

With the colder weather fast approaching you may be starting to think about how best to keep your little one(s) warm! Following advice and support from the incredible Lullaby Trust, we have put together some top tips below for you to consider for your baby and their sleep space: 

Bedding for carrycots, cots and Moses baskets 

• Sleep your baby in the feet-to-foot position with their feet at the bottom of the cot. Firmly tuck in sheets and blankets (no higher than the shoulders) to avoid the risk of your baby’s head becoming covered by loose bedding. 
• Babies’ heads are an important way for them to lose heat if they need to so remove hats when inside. 
• If you are using a baby sleeping bag, don’t add extra blankets on top, add an extra layer of clothing or choose a higher tog sleeping bag if you feel the sleeping bag is not enough 
• If you use sheets and/or blankets we recommend using lightweight and not thick, fleecy or padded blankets or duvets. If you think your baby is cold, add an extra lightweight blanket or layer of clothing. 

Sleeping space  

• The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, separate sleep space, such as a carrycot that is suitable for permanent overnight sleeping (e.g. the iCandy Peach 7), cot or Moses basket.  

Room temperature 

• The recommended room temperature is 16-20 degrees.  
• When it’s cold outside, it can be tempting to wrap your baby up to keep them warm, however we know that overheating a baby increases the chances of SIDS and research shows babies are better to be cooler than too hot.  
• If you’re unsure of the room temperature, we recommended using a room thermometer for accuracy.  

How can I check if my baby is too hot? 

• All babies are different so we recommend checking your baby’s chest and/or back of their neck to make sure that their skin doesn't feel clammy or sweaty to the touch (their hands and feet will always feel cooler to touch.) Warm is fine, but if it feels sweaty or clammy it means they are too hot so remove a layer of bedding or clothing.  
• Babies who are unwell need fewer, not more layers.  
• Always seek medical advice if you are worried about your baby. 

Additional top tips: 

• Babies lose heat though their heads so remove hats or hoods when indoors or in a car, so they don’t get too hot. Babies shouldn’t sleep indoors in any outdoors clothing.  
• Weighted blankets, weighted swaddles and weighted sleeping bags are not recommended for babies under 1 year due to the risk of overheating and head covering. 
• Do not place your baby’s cot next to a radiator or heat source such as a portable heater that is directly aimed at your baby. Babies are unable to regulate their temperature so could potentially end up getting too hot and are unable to move out of the way of a heat source. 
• Do not put your baby in a car seat in their winter coat/pram suit. As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat. 

Wherever your baby’s sleep space is, keep it clear, keep it simple, keep it safe.