Cooler nights, better sleep
When the thermometer climbs, the answer isn't a fan pointed at the cot — it's less fabric and the right fabric. Here's how to dress your baby for sleep in summer without overheating.
Summer flips the bedtime question on its head. Most of the year we worry about keeping a baby warm enough; for a few months it's the opposite. The good news is that staying cool is mostly about subtracting — fewer layers, lighter fabric — not about gadgets.
A baby can't kick off a duvet or tell you they're too warm, so the job is ours: read the room and dress for it. Here's the simple version.
Start with the room
Check the thermometer in your baby's room, not the landing. The ideal sleep range is 18-21 C, but summer nights often sit above that — and that's fine, as long as you take layers off to match. Above 24 C, drop the winter sleep bag entirely.
Less fabric, better fabric
This is where the choice of material does the heavy lifting. Bamboo is breathable and wicks moisture, pulling sweat off the skin and letting heat escape — so a baby stays drier and cooler than in standard cotton, even on a sticky night. Less sweat means fewer wakings and fewer damp-pajama changes.
- 20-24 C: a short bamboo pajama or a long-sleeve bodysuit.
- 24-26 C: just a short-sleeve bodysuit
- Above 26 C: short bodysuit. Nothing more.
Keep the room on your side
- Cool the room before bed, not during — air it out in the evening, then close blinds against the late sun.
- Check the neck, not the hands. Hands and feet always feel cooler; the back of the neck tells the truth.
- Hydrate more if your baby is on milk or water, especially in a heatwave.
Common questions
Touch the back of the neck or chest, never the hands or feet (always cooler). Hot and sweaty means remove a layer; warm and dry is just right.
Above about 26 C, a nappy with a short bodysuit . The aim is the lightest safe layer, not nothing at all.
Summer sleep comes down to one habit: take a layer off and let bamboo do the rest. Read the room, keep it light, check the neck, and warm nights stop being the enemy of a good night's sleep.
