When summer hits, one of the questions I hear from parents all the time is: "How do I know if my baby is too hot at night?"

And honestly? I understand the second-guessing. You finally get your baby settled, you crawl into bed, and suddenly you're wondering — should I take off the sleeping bag? Is the room too warm? Are they sweating? Should I turn the fan on? As a sleep consultant, I've been asked all the questions.

The good news is that dressing your baby for hot-weather sleep doesn't have to be complicated. Think light, breathable, and comfortable.

Choosing Baby Sleepwear for Warm Rooms

One of the easiest ways to choose sleepwear is by looking at the TOG rating. For warm summer nights, I recommend 0.2–1.0.

• 0.2 TOG: very lightweight, and useful for particularly warm rooms.
• 0.5 TOG: a popular lightweight option for summer.
• 1.0 TOG: still relatively light, but provides more warmth for moderately warm rooms.

Always check the manufacturer's temperature and clothing guidance, because TOG recommendations can vary between products.

I also love breathable materials like lightweight cotton or bamboo-based fabrics, because they feel more comfortable than heavy or less breathable materials. A comfortable baby is a baby who sleeps better.

If the room is genuinely warm, it may be appropriate for a baby to sleep in a lightweight singlet or even just a nappy, depending on their age, the room temperature, and the manufacturer's guidance for any sleepwear you're using.

Here are some of the combinations I like to share with families (paired with a sleeping bag):

• Short sleeve cotton onesie
• Short sleeve regular onesie
• Lightweight pyjamas
• Just a nappy

Keeping Baby's Room Comfortable

Sometimes the answer isn't adding or removing clothing — it's making the room itself more comfortable. Here are a few things I tell the families I work with:

• Use fans for airflow. A fan can help circulate air and make a room feel more comfortable. Keep it safely positioned away from the cot and out of baby's reach.
• Use blackout curtains during the day. Keeping direct sunlight out of the nursery helps stop the room heating up like a little oven before bedtime.
• Use air conditioning when needed. If you have it, it's okay to use it to keep the room comfortably cool. You don't need to make the room cold — just avoid letting it become excessively hot.
• During a heatwave, prioritise keeping your baby cool.

And remember the room at bedtime isn't always the room at 3am — even in summer, the overnight temperature drop can catch families out.

How Sleep Like Goldilocks Can Help

I can't recommend Sleep Like Goldilocks enough! Their sleepwear guide takes out all the guesswork by showing you the room temperature, the recommended TOG, and exactly what to dress your baby in — and yes, you can get TOG-rated sleepwear from them as well. It gives you peace of mind that your baby is safe and comfortable all night.

Final Thoughts

There's rarely just one piece to better baby sleep, but in summer, the sleep environment is the best place to start: get the room as comfortable as you reasonably can, dress baby light for the room they're actually in, and check the back of their neck rather than their hands if you're unsure.

Every baby is different, though — and if you've got the environment right and sleep is still a struggle, that's when personalised support makes the difference.

Jamie Ortiz is a Certified Sleep Consultant at I Help Moms, where she creates personalised Gentle Sleep Plans for tired families through the free I Help Moms Baby Sleep App — and you can book time with Jamie directly for answers to your specific sleep questions.

Ready to stop second-guessing the sleeping bag? See how the Goldilocks thermometer works.