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How to keep your baby sleeping safely in hot weather
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How to keep your baby sleeping safely in hot weather
On hot nights, it's easy to worry about your baby overheating. We've got expert advice on what babies should wear, bedding to use and how to keep your baby's room cool when the temperature is high
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CDC recommendations state:
"Keep soft bedding such as blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys out of your baby’s sleep area. Additionally, do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Some parents may feel they should add sheets or blankets to their baby’s crib to help keep their baby warm and comfortable while sleeping. However, sheets, comforters, and blankets can increase the risk of suffocation or overheat your baby. If you’re worried about your baby getting cold during sleep, you can dress them in sleep clothing, like a wearable blanket. In a recent Pediatrics report, CDC scientists and colleagues found that infant suffocation deaths during sleep were most frequently due to soft bedding, such as blankets and pillows."
We hear your concern but we don't think we are recommending "loose" sheets or any other bedding options that are unsafe or that the UK charity the Lullaby Trust, experts on safe sleep and preventing Sudden Infant Death, would advise against.
We appreciate that the advice the CDC gives in the US may be different, though.
Here in the UK, the Lullaby Trust advises that "firmly tucked-in sheets and blankets (not above shoulder height) are safe for a baby to sleep in" (you can check out the link here: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/mattresses-and-bedding/ ).
That said, we do think we should add a reminder to this article that all sheets and blankets should be firmly tucked in, so we'll add that in now. We're grateful to you for your comment, as it's prompted us to make this addition.