What should my baby wear to sleep, and what TOG sleep sack do I need?
Dress your baby in no more than one layer more than you would wear to be comfortable in the same room, which is the AAP’s rule. No hat indoors and no loose blankets. Watch for overheating: sweating, flushed skin, or a hot chest. TOG is a sleep-sack warmth rating; choose one that, with the clothes underneath, adds up to about one layer more than you.
The AAP’s rule of thumb
The AAP’s parent site says your baby only needs one more layer than you would wear in the same environment to be comfortable. Dressing your baby in layers is safer than using blankets, and the AAP advises keeping the room at a comfortable temperature.
Neither the AAP’s parent site nor the NIH Safe to Sleep campaign gives a specific room temperature. The guidance is about how your baby feels, not a number on the thermostat.
Signs your baby is too hot
The NIH Safe to Sleep campaign lists:
- Sweating
- Flushed, red or hot skin
- A chest that feels hot to the touch
Check the back of the neck or the chest, not the hands and feet. If your baby is sweaty, remove a layer.
Hats and head covering
The AAP says not to put a hat on your baby indoors once you are home from the hospital; hats are for the first hours after birth or the NICU. Safe to Sleep adds that a baby’s head and face should stay uncovered during sleep.
If you are checking layers because your baby keeps waking, temperature is worth getting right, but it is rarely the whole story. The waking itself is what Actually Sleeping fixes.
What TOG means
TOG stands for thermal overall grade. It is a warmth rating that manufacturers put on sleep sacks and swaddles: a higher number means a warmer, thicker sack. TOG is not part of the AAP’s guidance, and brands differ in how they rate and what room temperatures they suggest. Use the maker’s chart as a starting point, then adjust to your baby.
Putting it together
| Room feels | You would wear | A typical baby setup |
|---|---|---|
| Warm | A T-shirt | A short-sleeve bodysuit, or a bodysuit and a light sleep sack |
| Comfortable | Light long sleeves | A long-sleeve sleepsuit and a light-to-medium sleep sack |
| Cool | A sweater | A long-sleeve sleepsuit and a warmer sleep sack |
These are examples of the one-extra-layer rule, not fixed requirements. Your baby’s skin is the real guide. Hands and feet often feel cool even when a baby is warm enough, because they are small and exposed; go by the chest and neck.
Things to avoid
- Loose blankets and quilts. Keep them out of the sleep space for the first year.
- Weighted sleep sacks or swaddles. The AAP says weighted products on or near a baby are not safe. See weighted sleep sacks.
- Swaddling a baby who is trying to roll. Stop swaddling at the first signs of rolling and move to an arms-out sleep sack.
- Hoods, hats and thick fleece in a warm room.
- Heaters or electric blankets near the crib.
When the question is really about waking
Many parents start comparing TOG ratings because their baby keeps waking, and wonder if the baby is cold or hot. A baby who is too warm or too cold may wake more, so it is worth getting right. But temperature is rarely the whole story. A baby who wakes several times a night in a comfortable room, correctly dressed, is usually waking between sleep cycles and needing help to fall back asleep.
That is the fixable part, and it is what Actually Sleeping does. Dr. Sam writes a plan for your baby, within safe-sleep rules, with bootcamp-style coaching before the first night and daily 1:1 check-ins. We guarantee that your baby will sleep 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days of consistent, correct implementation of your sleep plan. If it does not happen, you get a full refund. You can hear from families in our 129 client video reviews. See also early morning waking.
If you have changed the sleep sack three times and your baby still wakes, book a free consultation with Actually Sleeping.
Want this fixed for your baby?
Actually Sleeping is 1:1 coaching: a sleep plan written for your baby by Dr. Sam, bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, and daily check-ins until it is working. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.
Frequently asked
What temperature should a baby’s room be?
The AAP and NIH do not give a specific number. They advise a comfortable room temperature and dressing your baby in one layer more than you would wear, then checking for sweating, flushed skin, or a hot chest.
What TOG sleep sack should I use?
TOG is a manufacturer’s warmth rating, not an AAP standard, and brands differ. Use the maker’s chart as a starting point, then choose clothing plus sack that adds up to about one layer more than you are wearing.
Should my baby wear a hat to sleep?
No. The AAP says not to put a hat on your baby indoors once you are home from the hospital. Hats can make a baby too hot, and the head and face should stay uncovered during sleep.
My baby’s hands are cold. Do they need another layer?
Not necessarily. Hands and feet often feel cool. Check the chest or the back of the neck instead. If those feel comfortable and not sweaty, your baby is dressed warmly enough.
References
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep.
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP). How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: Preventing SIDS.
- Safe to Sleep campaign, NICHD (NIH). Ways to Reduce Baby's Risk.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP Updates Safe Sleep Recommendations: Back is Best. News release, 2022.