Autumn dressing tips (super practical) with Tara from The Gentle Sleep Specialist.

As the cooler months of Autumn and Winter approach, ensuring your baby stays cosy and comfortable during sleep becomes essential. I'm Tara, an infant and toddler sleep consultant from The Gentle Sleep Specialist, and I'm here to share my top tips for dressing your little one for optimal sleep during these seasons. In this piece, we'll explore practical advice on room temperature, clothing choices, and other factors to promote restful sleep for your baby.

Tips for cool weather sleeping:

1. Room temperature: 
Instead of overheating the room, aim for a neutral temperature to take the chill off. Then, we can work on ensuring our babes are snug. Have you got one of Ergopouch's room thermometers that comes with each Pouch? They're game changers and ideal for this in-between weather. 

2. Speaking of Tricky in-betweens: 
In terms of Autumn, I would keep an eye on what the temperature will drop to and dress a little in between that and what you feel at the beginning of the night. For example, if it's been a warm-ish day (which I know is coming to an end), but the night is getting cool, I would dress my babe to suit the cooler part of the evening. 

I may use a 1.0 TOG Long Sleeve Layer and a lighter 1.0 TOG Jersey Sleeping Bag. Or a Short Sleeve Layer and 2.5 TOG Jersey Sleeping Bag. It is a game of mix and match in this trans-seasonal time; remember, keeping our babes safe is number one, which comes down to a safe home environment, safe sleep space and many more factors. Common sense and trusting yourself often prevail regarding what to wear. You can always follow ergo's What to Wear Guide. 

3. Where you cover matters: 
It's essential never to cover your child's head during sleep. This is a significant area where your child can release body heat to help them regulate their internal temperature, and we also risk the item on their head moving and becoming a breathing obstruction.

If you find your little one waking up with cold hands and arms, look to use a Sleeved Sleeping Bag. If you're worried it may be too much, use a short-sleeve layer underneath. That way, their arms have coverage for the cool nights. 

4. Choose quality materials: 

Opt for clothing and Sleep Suits made from breathable, natural fabrics that won't trap heat or cause sweating (all of ergo's range has you covered). To note, ergoPouch has gone to great lengths to ensure safety by using only 1.0 TOG around the chest to allow for full expansion and to prevent overheating but also provides the warmth of 2.5 TOG or 3.5 TOG elsewhere (pretty neat). 

5. Can't trust the blankets, YET: 
Firstly, blankets are not recommended until after two years of age, so if your baby is under two, opt for Ergopouch's Sleeping Bags. If your babe is over two, check out their Bedding Collection. I would always recommend a neutral room temperature with a Pouch, over trying to rely on our little ones keeping blankets on. Not only for safety but have you seen how much our little ones wriggle and roll? This way, you can rest assured they are safely snug and warm enough to have a good night's sleep.

6. Daytime sleep: 
Consider using a slightly lighter sleeping bag to warm your baby during daytime naps. If you're in a cooler part of Aus, you can absolutely opt for a warmer TOG. Remember that your baby's temperature drops during sleep, so keeping them cosy during the day is essential. 

Finally, our duvets are often far thicker than our little ones' sleeping bags, so when you think of what to dress your babe in, consider what you will be wearing, including room temperature. But then remember they may need another layer if they are in a thinner sleeping bag and you find yourself needing the thick duvet.

If you have any questions about dressing your child, you can also refer to the What to Wear Guide which gives you practical and helpful advice on dressing for different room temperatures.

I hope this helps. I know it can be daunting, but you've got this x

Tara

The Gentle Sleep Specialist
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