How to Choose the Best Pajamas for Your Baby

By Katie Giguere, Sleep Consultant

The holidays are officially here!!! Do you know what that means? It’s time for cute holiday jammies! As adorable as your child may look in their new festive pajama sets, it’s important to make sure that they are dressed appropriately for bed.

There are many different options to choose from and as temperatures start to change, you may need to reevaluate how you dress your child for sleep. You want to ensure that they are warm, but also cool enough to be able to sleep comfortably.

The main things you want to keep in mind when choosing pajamas for your child are:

Safety
Room temperature
Layers

Safety

Your child’s safety always comes first.

We need to ensure they don’t overheat. When a baby becomes too hot, the risk for SIDS increases significantly. If your baby is sweating, has flushed cheeks, or is breathing heavily they may be too hot and you should cool them down immediately.

Another great way to check if they’re too hot is to check their core: neck, stomach, and chest. If these areas feel hot, you should let them cool off and dress them in fewer layers. See more info on layers below!

Do not let your child sleep in a hat as it can cause them to overheat and there is a risk of suffocation if it falls off. If your child is under the age of 12 months, they should not have any loose bedding or blankets in their crib, as this increases the risk of SIDS.

One more thing to keep in mind is that snug fitting pajamas are less likely to catch fire than loose fitting items.

Room Temperature

Most babies sleep best when their room is between 68 and 72 degrees Farenheit. Set your home’s heating/air unit and keep in mind that in some houses this is easier said than done.

If your house runs cold, make sure there aren’t any drafts coming in through the windows. Also, make sure there isn’t any furniture covering up the vents in the room to ensure proper air flow. Another way to warm up a room is to let sunlight in through the windows while the room is not in use, and covering them up with thick curtains while your child is sleeping (you want it dark in their room, anyway!).

If your baby monitor has a thermometer, it may be a useful tool to help you decide how to dress your little one!

Layers

Depending on your baby’s age, they may or may not need layers of clothing when it comes to sleep.

For infants, a good rule of thumb is that they need one more layer than you would to be comfortable to sleep. This is because young babies should not be sleeping with a loose blanket (this leads to a higher risk of SIDS).

Those cute two-piece holiday sets are great and all, but you may need to add some socks and a fleece sleep sack on top so they are set up for a good night’s rest! Refer to the chart below for some examples based on temperature!

Here at Kelly Murray Sleep, we love Monica and Andy’s pajamas. They’re made of organic cotton and have optional foot covers on their onesies, which is extremely convenient for the changing temperatures! Click here to check out their holiday collection!

All team members have completed training with Kelly and have learned the Murray Method. Kelly continues to support, guide and oversee the Sleep Squad as they work with the families who trust in us. This way, all clients are able to experience the same amazing results (and lots and lots of sleep).

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