Swaddling can help settle a newborn (always on their back to sleep), but many parents might be wondering what is best for them to wear under their swaddle blankets. As babies cannot fully regulate their body temperature, it is important to get this right.
Key points
- Count the swaddle as a layer of clothing.
- Keep the room at 16–20°C and dress your baby for the room, not the weather outside.
- 16–18°C: bodysuit and sleepsuit. 18–20°C: sleepsuit. Above 20°C: a bodysuit or vest only.
- Check your baby’s chest or the back of their neck; never add a hat.
What to Think About Before You Swaddle
- Temperature, both outdoors and inside
- Humidity levels
- Thickness of the swaddle blanket
- Ask yourself: How does your baby feel to the touch? Do they look warm/cold?
UK safe sleep advice from The Lullaby Trust is to keep your baby’s room between 16 and 20°C. At the warmer end of that range, a baby might be most comfortable in just one layer, such as a short-sleeved bodysuit or vest, underneath their swaddle. For colder nights, parents can wrap their baby in a sleepsuit, or a bodysuit underneath a sleepsuit, depending on how chilly it is and the child’s reaction.
Dressing a baby in a short sleeve bodysuit and cotton sleepsuit can be just right under a swaddle during colder nights, while just one long sleeve vest or sleepsuit is commonly worn underneath swaddles in milder temperatures.
As a rule of thumb, count the swaddle as a layer of clothing, and consider the following guide:
- Temperatures 16 - 18 ℃ — short sleeve bodysuit or vest and sleepsuit
- Temperatures 18 - 20 ℃ — sleepsuit
- Above 20 ℃ — short sleeve bodysuit or vest only, and check often that your baby isn’t too warm.
Beyond any rules for how to dress your baby for swaddling, individuality is the order of the day. Parents must be mindful to check babies by watching their behaviour and noticing if they are warm or cold to the touch. This should always be the final test to see if a baby is at a comfortable temperature.
One of the best types of fabric for baby clothing, especially for sleeping, is cotton. This is a breathable material and can help regulate temperatures. Little Seeds’ easy-to-use swaddles are made with a super-soft and breathable organic cotton, which can ensure babies do not overheat.
Dressing for bedtime? Our organic cotton bodysuits and zip-up sleepsuits are soft, breathable and made for delicate newborn skin.
Organic Cotton Baby Clothes for under a swaddle
Short sleeve bodysuits
Perfect to wear underneath a swaddle on warmer nights, Little Seed’s short sleeve bodysuits are 100% organic cotton, feather-soft to the touch and completely breathable. These gender-neutral baby grows come in plain white or with a simple design, in packs of three or five.
Sleepsuits
The ideal base layer for chiller times of the year is a Little Seeds’ sleepsuit. Made from organic cotton or our bamboo and organic cotton blend, these come with a full-body zip and fold-over safety mittens — designed with super-speedy nocturnal changes in mind.
Cotton Swaddling Blankets
Little Seeds also has a range of super-soft swaddling blankets. Another high-quality baby essential, they too are made from organic cotton. Unlike traditional swaddles, where you have to create the correct shape yourself, these easy-to-use swaddles fasten with soft velcro wings, so you get a snug, consistent fit without any folding.
Skip the folding. Our organic cotton swaddle wraps in seconds with soft velcro wings. From £17.99, in 0–3 and 3–6 months.
Want more information on swaddling? Check out Little Seeds’ visual swaddle instructions, or watch our swaddling blanket how-to video here.
