You control your baby’s environment
Temperature
Adjust your thermostat to keep your Baby’s Room at a temperature that is conducive to sleeping.
- A suggested range between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit is a good starting point.
- Feel your baby to find out if you have the right temperature for them.
- Their hands or feet should not be cold to the touch nor should the back of their neck be sweaty.
- Avoid placing their crib right next to a window as the temperature can fluctuate close to windows throughout the night.
- If the weather is cold, wrap your baby in extra blankets if they are over 1 year old.
Cold sheets can create added stress for a baby at bedtime. You can warm them up before putting your baby in the bed by placing a warm water bottle in the bed on the sheets. Also, try flannel sheets.
Important: You should not leave the water bottle in the crib with your baby! Make sure to remove it before starting your bedtime routine with your baby.
If your baby is under 1 year old…
- Don’t use loose blankets because loose blankets, quilts, and comforters have been associated with Sudden Infant death Syndrome (SIDS).
- A comfortable temperature helps your baby feel more secure and sleep more easily.
- Consider wrapping your baby in a swaddling blanket (very snug) or a sleep sack.
The Halo SleepSack is one of the most highly rated I’ve found. They come in microfleece and 100% cotton. They’ve been proven safe and can provide additional warmth.
Keep in mind that cotton will breath more than microfleece. So, if you have a baby that runs warm, cotton may be better for them, and if you have a baby that runs cool, microfleece may work better.
Below are some sleep sack reviews at Amazon.
(Amazon Affiliate links like this one help pay for the free content on my sites. When you purchase from Amazon within 24 hours of clicking on an affiliate link Amazon gives me a small commission. Using the link doesn’t affect the price you pay. Thanks for your support!)
Humidity
- A relative humidity of around 50 percent works well for sleep.
- If the air is too dry, your baby may get a stuffy nose which could wake them.
- If the humidity is too high, allergy-producing molds may thrive.
- A mist vaporizer in your baby’s sleeping area can help maintain a good amount of humidity, especially with central heating during the winter months which can make the air dry.
There’s no one size fits all solution. The factors involved are…
- time of the year
- your location
- the conditions of your baby’s room (are there windows? how many? upstairs/downstairs bedroom?)
- the type of heat/air conditioning you have etc.
We bought a $29 digital thermometer that showed both temperature and humidity. Using this for feedback, we were able to better control the temperature and humidity in our baby’s room.
Baby humidifiers range in price from $30 to $200.
Below are some baby humidifier reviews at Amazon.
(Amazon Affiliate links like this one help pay for the free content on my sites. When you purchase from Amazon within 24 hours of clicking on an affiliate link Amazon gives me a small commission. Using the link doesn’t affect the price you pay. Thanks for your support!)
