Hello Autumn! Beautiful yellow and brown golden leaves are settling on the ground and you spend Sunday afternoons snuggled up on the sofa watching your favourite family movie. With the change in season, many parents ask themselves, “is there anything we should keep in mind when it comes to our baby’s sleep during winter?”
To ensure your winter nights run as smooth as possible, we have summarised the best sleeping tips for the cold season.
1. Moderate your heating
When switching on the central heating after the long summer months, you may experience cracking noises, loud hissing or clanking in the first few days. Make sure not to switch on the central heating for the first time during your baby’s nap time. The noise can be enough to wake your baby.
2. Find the ideal room temperature
During the winter months, room temperature can fluctuate greatly with the changing outside temperature. You may wonder if you should heat your bedroom or nursery at night to cope with the change in temperatures. A sleeping temperature of 16 to 20 degrees is ideal for your baby to reduce the risks of (SIDS) sudden infant death syndrome. With the right sleeping bag and the appropriate clothing, you can prepare your child for a good nights sleep.
3. Use the correct sleeping bag
At night, your baby’s hands may feel cool, but never be freezing cold. Being cold can be a common reason for waking up during the night. It is best to dress your baby according to the sleeping TOG chart and to match the sleeping bag you have chosen.
As a general rule, if the temperature in your baby’s room is between 18 and 20 degrees at night, you can get by with a 2.5 TOG sleeping bag and sleepsuit.
If the temperature drops below 18 degrees, put an extra layer on your baby or use a sleeping bag with a higher filling. Our Ergobaby baby sleeping bag range is available in three new designs: Aegean Fish, Silver Waves and Pink Sand.
4. Discover the benefits of darker nights
The earlier, darker evenings have huge benefits. You no longer have to worry about early morning sunlight creeping into your room and your baby waking up as early as 5am. However, the earlier darkness can cause your baby to become tired earlier in the evening. This makes your little one fall asleep earlier and possibly wake up earlier. How can we help with this change? In the early evenings, leave your indoor lights on as brightly as possible to simulate daylight. When you begin your bedtime routine, just dim the lights down.
5. Reduce excitement during the festive season
During the Winter months there are more exciting gatherings and celebrations to factor such as visiting Christmas markets, celebrating Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve partying. Travelling to see friends and family can be overstimulating for babies and young children. There is a risk of overtiredness. Avoid this by scheduling a nap or extra cuddle time on the sofa. Remember to leave enough time between nap time before starting the evening sleep routine. Keep your childs’ bedroom free of Christmas decorations and fairy lights to keep it a quiet, peaceful space to retreat to.
Top Tip:
If nap time or bedtime for your baby doesn’t quite go to plan (which is perfectly normal): Dress warmly, grab your pram or baby carrier and go out into the fresh air, and take a walk together. Fresh air and exercise are so good for our physical and mental wellbeing and can help us turn the corner after a long, difficult night.
For more baby sleep tips, feel free to check out our other sleep blogs.
