I remember giving birth to my older son during the month of November thinking, how do I dress my baby at night? What sleep sack is best? What does T.O.G. even mean? It was winter and the nights were cold, but we did our best to regulate the temperature of the room. Those sleepless nights left my husband and I googling during the wee hours of the night different questions and one of them was, “Can my baby wear mittens to sleep?”
As a general rule, if your newborn has excessive facial scratching from their nails, limit mitten wearing only for sleep. Make sure the mitten fit is correct or use a onesie with integrated fold over mittens. During the day, allow newborn exploration mitten-free. Newborns will be busy making new connections in their brain and one important way they discover this world is by discovering it with their hands. The only risk comes when they constantly are excessively scratching (sometimes drawing blood) their face.
In this post, we’ll go over the following:
- Why should my baby wear mittens?
- Should my baby wear mittens to sleep?
- What should my newborn wear to sleep?
- How do I know if my baby is too hot or too cold?
- What is T.O.G.?
- What should my toddler wear to sleep?
Why should my baby wear mittens to sleep?
The main reason your baby would wear mittens is to prevent unintentional facial scratching from baby’s nails, but should they wear them to sleep?
Did you know nails grow faster the younger you are, in males and in the summertime? Weird! You’ll be trimming nails once a week (f you can) to keep up with the insane growth, but the more you do, the better you’ll get. Try to do it when they fall asleep. It’s a good thing newborns sleep so much in those early weeks!
So if you trim the nails with an infant nail clipper, finish the job with an emery board aka nail file. They might have some sharp edges that just need a little smoothing out. They make electric nail files which are awesome (click here). I even packed it in my hospital bag because I had a feeling my babies would come out with some nails, and I’m glad I did. Don’t forget the batteries.
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Should my baby wear mittens to sleep?
As newborns develop, and it happens quickly, they use their bodies (specifically their hands) to learn about themselves and the world around them. In the early days, your baby will put their fist in their mouth to display the rooting reflex. Per the AAP, if you are going to use mittens with your baby, try and limit it only for sleeping.
While they are awake, allow your baby to move and explore freely with uncovered hands. Here’s some additional information about tummy time (click here). Especially if you have a breastfeed baby, their hands will act as the utensils and they’ll want to explore during their meal. They love to put their hands in their mouth, they love feeling of mom or dad and they begin to build motor and sensory connections at an early age. Yes, their movements are involuntary at first, but soon will become intentional.
Babies learn to discover their hands around 6-8 weeks. Do you remember seeing your little one staring at their hands while they turn it from front to back and front again? It is the cutest thing to see your child develop and discover their world in front of you.
If you are going to use mittens, consider these few things. Babies will practice opening and closing their hands so choosing mittens that allow that full range of motion is important. Mittens that are integrated into onesies are a great option to prevent them from slipping off loose. As a general rule, ideally no to mittens unless the scratching is excessive. If mittens are needed, then try and use them only while sleeping. If you want to learn more about crib safety (click here).
So now, how else should you dress your baby wear while they sleep?
What should my newborn wear to sleep?
When dressing your baby, the golden rule per the AAP is that you should dress your baby in one additional layer more than you are wearing. Remember when babies are younger than 1 year old, the AAP recommends no blankets. This is where sleep sacks or wearable blankets come into the picture.
The best material for newborns to wear is cotton because it is soft, breathable and gentle against your baby’s skin. More specifically, organic cotton is best for babies. Why? It is grown without the use of chemicals or fertilizers. Sometimes babies and toddlers have allergies or specific skin conditions which can be aggravated by rough and/or synthetic fabrics. When you use organic cotton, you can ensure that your children will be comfortable. Babies and toddlers’ skin issues are exacerbated or triggered by heavy dyes and chemicals. But here’s the thing. When there are no chemicals or anything used in the cotton, be sure to read the label that it is, in fact, fire retardant.
Jersey knit material pajamas are also a great choice for babies because it’s breathable, resists pilling and stretchy for those ever growing baby thighs.
Make sure your choice of pajamas do not have a hood and be sure they are fire retardant. You’ll also want to confirm the pajamas cannot ride up and possibly cover the mouth and nose. This is why it is beneficial to use snug fit pajamas. Another benefit to using tight fitting pajamas is the fact that it is not a fire hazard.
Ideally, keeping the room temperature between 68-72 degrees is ideal. There are many baby monitors that actually provide you with that information, but you’re better off buying a thermostat to put in your baby’s room because the monitor temperatures aren’t always reliable.
How do I know if my baby is too hot or too cold?
Did you know that having your baby sleeping in a cooler temperature room helps prevent SIDS? Also on the list of SIDS prevention includes using a fan. However, if you are using a fan, make sure it’s not directly blowing onto your baby.
Signs your baby is too hot
- Clammy skin
- Red/flushed face
- Increased irritability
- Damp hair
- Increased heart rate (at rest without crying)
- Rapid breathing (without signs of cyanosis/baby turning blue)
Signs your baby is too cold
- Pale skin
- Cold hands/feet
- Fussy
- Sneezy
- Quiet and still
A very easy (and free) way to help your newborn baby thermoregulate is to practice skin to skin. It can be with mom OR dad. Skin to skin helps with bonding, stability in heart rate and breathing as well as increased time in deep sleep to name a few. Just dress your baby in a diaper, grab a blanket and a comfy spot and your are all set for skin to skin!
When your baby has a fever, make sure you don’t overcompensate and layer them in more clothing. It may sound counterintuitive, but no need to turn up the heat or add extra layers.
What is T.O.G.?
T.O.G. stands for thermal overall grade. This is a standard measurement for how warm a clothing garment is. You’ll find the measurement on baby blankets, sleep sacks, duvets as well as comforters.
According to Stanford (click here), babies lose heat 4x as fast as adults. Premature and low birth weight babies do not have as much body fat so knowing how to dress them especially at night is even more important.
| Ideal T.O.G. rating | Room Temp/Conditions | Ideal Layers |
| 0.25 | -Extreme heat (80 degrees) -Summer weather -Little air flow in room | Lightweight sleep sack + diaper |
| 0.5 | -Warm room (75-81 degrees) -Summer weather | Lightweight sleep sack + short sleeve onesie |
| 1.0 | -Warm weather (69-74 degrees) | Might light weight sleep sack + onesie or light pajamas |
| 2.5 | -Room temp (61-68 degrees) | Mid heavy weight + long sleeve onesie or pajamas |
| 3.0 | -Winter (Below 61 degrees) -Cold rooms | Heavy weight sleep sack over pajamas |
What should my toddler wear to sleep?
For toddlers, you’ll want to stick with soft, breathable and chemical free pajamas (hello organic cotton once again). This is the perfect opportunity to allow your toddler to make a choice. Give them options for their pajamas and allow them to choose.
You can use socks or footie pajamas in the cold winter months for toddlers. Kids have a tendency to kick off their blanket while they sleep, so you’ll want to make sure they are warm with just their pajamas. A friendly reminder that the AAP advises waiting until at least 1 year old to use a loose blanket in the crib.
Wrap Up
Now you can see the actual rationale behind mittens and when to use them. If you are still struggling with sleep with your baby or toddler and looking for a change, please feel free to email me at clementineparent2020@gmail.com I would be more than happy to help.