What should babies be wearing at night now the weather's turned colder?

[RedRose27]

Hi. DD is 15 weeks old. Since she was about 6 weeks she's been in a sleep suit and sleeping bag at night. I was using the summer sleeping bags (1.3 tog) up until about 4 weeks ago when the weather started to get colder. Now I have changed her to a 2.5 tog sleeping bag, still just with a sleep suit. At times when she was tiny we were also putting a blanket over the sleeping bag too,up to around waist height, and last night I also put a blanket over her.

The room is about 19 degrees at night at the moment, but it does feel chilly to me. The thing is, I feel cold with a 5 tog quilt tucked up to my ears!! I'm not sure if she is cold with her arms sticking out and only one layer of sleep suit covering them! Her hands do feel cold during the night and in the morning. When I change her nappy first thing though her feet are usually warm. I was thinking to put a vest on under the sleep suit as well, but as it's only just the start of the autumn, then I don't know what to do when it gets properly cold in the winter. I haven't seen sleeping bags warmer than 2.5 tog in the shops yet, can you get them?

I'm a first time mum - what do other people do please? Does anyone keep the heating on overnight in the winter with small babies? As I am up to BF in the night we may start do this anyway so the house doesn't get too cold.

Thanks xx

I didn't have the heating on all night but would have it on timer to come on for an hour or too in the small hours.

you could use a long sleeved body suit under the sleepsuit if you feel her arms are cold. You do get 3.5tog bags but they are more for rooms that go below 15 degrees.

I never kept the heating on overnight even when mine were babies. 19 degrees sounds fine as the ideal sleeping temperature is 16-20 degrees and what the 2.5tog is designed for

Jojo Maman Bebe do 3.5 tog sleeping bags made up of a 1.5 and a 2.5 tog which can be separated on warmer days or combined in winter - quite pricey though. I think Grobags also do some 3.5 tog ones too.

My little one is nearly 2 now but last winter when it was cold he was in a sleeveless vest, sleepsuit with inbuilt mittens, a 2.5 tog sleeping bag and then a blanket on top. We didn't have the heating on overnight.

His first winter when it was absolutely freezing, -17 and all that nonsense he was too little for a sleeping bag but had a vest with short sleeves, a long sleeve sleepsuit with inbuilt mittens and 2-3 blankets, we still didn't have the heating on at night but in order to feed him I had a big fleecy blanket on his chair which I wrapped around us both.

Just remember that hands are always cold, you need to be feeling the chest and back to get an idea of their true temperature.

I used a padded sleep suit from mothercare with a normal sleep suit and vest underneath I liked them more than the sleeping bags as DS's arms and hands always felt like ice! I think they are 2.5 tog so the same weight just covered the arms if it got really cold I would tuck him under a breathable blanket. When I was up for night feeds I did have the heating coming on if it got below a certain temperature

p.s. when it is really cold you can also put something like a cardigan on them if they are chilly

Long sleeved vest, grosuit (has quilted sleeves) and 3.5 tog sleeping bag if it is really cold - below 16 degrees.

An oil filled radiator for your room to keep the temp up?

Jojo Maman do a fab 3 tog one (not made up of anything! Just on its own)

My daughter had it last winter, son will be in it this winter. Detachable sleeves too.

Will find link and post!

www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+baby-cosy-jersey-sleeping-bags-35-tog-in-sleeping-bags+b1649

Correction, it's a 3.5 tog.

The only thing is though, they are on the big side imo.

We use 2.5 tog gro bag and follow these guidelines gro.co.uk/pages/what-to-wear

Have also bought these gro suits with thicker sleeves! gro.co.uk/gro-suits

Lovely, thank you for all your replies and links . I'm fairly new to mumsnet and you ladies are fabulous!

My 16 wo is in a sleepsuit with short sleeved vest underneath and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag we have a sleeping bag with detachable sleeves for the winter and will add a long sleeved vest rather than short sleeve. Tog ratings are different for babies (something to do with body surface area) so a 2.5 one for them is probably the equivalent of a winter weight quilt for us.

Baby is 4 months, he has a short sleeve vest, sleep suit, 1.5 tog grow bag and a cotton knotted blanket on.

Once we get frost in the mornings I will switch to 2.5 tog and a cardigan on top of the sleep suit, and a long sleeve vest under. Well, that is what I did with the other two!

Don't worry about room temperature, just poke a finger under all the layers at the neck to feel the chest. If cool add a layer, if hot remove one (don't forget babies don't really sweat). If in doubt, prefer cool to hot as excess heat can make them unwell.

I was having the same dilemma. Thank you to whoever recommended the gro suits. After seeing them on here I bought 2 twinpacks yesterday.

They were reduced from about £16 a pack to about £12 then I got a 10 percent discount for buying two and free postage and they arrived this morning!! I paid £10.70 for each pack so now is definitely the time to buy. looking forward to trying them tonight