A Parents’ Guide To Swaddling In Winter: Keep Your Baby Warm And Safe

Did you ever notice how a swaddled baby sleeps peacefully compared to a non-swaddled one?

Have you ever thought of the reason behind this, despite all the colics at that age?

Well, swaddling for them is similar to the atmosphere they experience in the uterus. Tying them up into a small bundle makes them feel secure and gives them time to adjust to their new world.

Although swaddling can be done in any season, care must be taken, especially in winter where you want to keep your baby warm but not at the cost of overheating.

Also, swaddling has its perks; it could also lead to fatality due to inappropriate tying.

Hence, this blog will serve you as an important guide to swaddling in winter.

Why Keeping Your Baby Warm is Essential During Colder Months?

Newborns have underdeveloped circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems. This makes them limited to the temperature regulation compared to adults.

Various other reasons include:

• High surface-area-to-body-weight ratio makes them expel more calories to regulate their body temperature.
• Limited brown fat compared to adults is responsible for keeping them warm to a limited extent.
• Expulsion of body heat from their head and neck area, being bigger than the rest of their body.
• Risk of hypothermia, that is, the temperature falling below 97 degrees Fahrenheit. This might lead to various respiratory issues and a slow heart rate.
• Risk of frostbite due to weak circulatory system.
• Susceptibility to common cold, flu, and pneumonia during winters.
• Dehydration.

How to Keep Babies Warm and Safe in Winter?

According to a study in the U.S.A., every year almost 37% cases, between the ages 2 and 6 months, were reported of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS). This report demands the need for an authentic guide to swaddling the babies in winter.

So, let us begin with various winter swaddling safety tips for new parents. This includes:

• Swaddling your baby in a lightweight muslin cloth.
• Replacing blankets with sleep sacks to prevent suffocation.
• Dressing your baby in three layers when stepping outdoors.
• Monitoring the signs of overheating in babies.
• Using a woolen cap or scarf to cover the baby’s head.

Striking the right balance between comfort and well-being is very important during winter to prevent the risk of SIDS, overheating, dehydration, disturbed sleep cycle, and hypothermia.

Protection from cold weather and sleep safety for babies are two of the most important winter baby care essentials.

Understanding Winter Swaddling Needs

Swaddling refers to bundling the baby into a tiny cocoon to make them feel calm, safe, and secure.

This is easier said than done, as it requires understanding the safe winter swaddling needs and techniques to protect the baby from harmful consequences.

Hence, knowledge about their body’s growth and development is a precursor to providing them with warm and comforting swaddling options for winter.

Characteristics of babies vs. possible consequences in winters

1. Poor thermoregulatory systems in babies cause a risk of both hypothermia and overheating. Overheating can be caused by excess clothing or tight swaddling.

Tip: Dress your baby enough to self-regulate their temperature.

2. The absence of shivering and sweat mechanisms in newborns makes it difficult for them to adapt to the cold temperature by self-heating.

Tip: Check for the tip of their hands, feet, nose, chest, and neck for chills and their expressions and discomfort.

3. The high surface area-to-body weight ratio makes them lose more heat from their head and neck to maintain their body temperature during winters.

Tip: Ensure to cover their head and neck with something warm.

4. Discomfort due to coldness also hinders their peaceful sleep cycle.

Tip: Make them sleep in a swaddle or a sleepsack. Avoid using bulky blankets to prevent suffocation.

5. Their poor respiratory system makes them more vulnerable to catching a cold, common flu, or pneumonia, thus exacerbating the situation.

Tip: Ensure to keep them covered and their nasals unblocked with our painless nasal cleaner for babies.

6. During winters, the calorie demand is higher for self-thermoregulation. This might create a deficit of calories in newborns, leading to difficulty in latching. Low birth weight babies are more vulnerable.

Tip: Monitor their hunger and latch them to the breastmilk or formula timely. This fulfills their calorie requirements, which are higher compared to other seasons.

Besides the above-mentioned tips, also keep an eye for the signs of:

• Hypothermia
• Overheating
• Dehydration
• SIDS

Selecting The Right Swaddle Material for Winter

During cold weather, babies can be provided with optimal comfort and protection by choosing the best material for their winter swaddling.

This selection should be based on their bodily requirements and your geographic location. Also, care must be taken to prevent the risk of baby overheating in winters.

Warm swaddling options for winters

The choice of fabric for swaddling varies according to the temperature of the geographic location. However, there are three fabrics to choose from.

1. Cotton

• Breathable
• Skin-friendly
• Ability to absorb moisture
• Easily washable
• Less insulation
• Prone to shrinking
• Ideal for moderate winters.
• Can be covered with a blanket or a sleep sack.

2. Wool

• Natural winter fabric.
• High insulation.
• Potential to trap air and regulate the body temperature.
• Hypoallergenic
• May cause itchiness in sensitive skin.
• Ability to trap moisture to keep the baby warm and dry.
• Suitable for babies who sweat excessively.
• Ideal for cold climates.

3. Fleece

• High potential warmth.
• Lightweight.
• Traps heat and moisture and keeps the baby dry.
• Easy washable.
• Less breathable
• Suitable for babies who do not sweat much to prevent overheating.
• Ideal for a very cold climate.

4. TOG-rated Sleep Sacks for Winters

TOG stands for thermal overall grade that measures the warmth of the fabric of the sleep sack. A high TOG-rated sleep sack is meant for cooler temperatures, while a low TOG is for warmer temperatures.

However, care must be taken for the below-mentioned pointers, in accordance with their TOG rating, like:

• Regulation of optimum room temperature.
• Types of cloth layering.
• Prevention of risk of suffocation.

Once done, you can assure a consistent temperature throughout the night. This makes your baby sleep peacefully.

Also, one of the demerits of using a sleep sack involves investing in different TOG-rated sleep sacks, ideal for different temperatures. This makes it an expensive affair.

Swaddling fabric and clothing layers form an important part of baby winter sleep essentials.

Also, if you are looking for a swaddle, do take a peek at R for Rabbit’s swaddle and blanket, exclusively designed for babies’ sensitive skin.

Swaddling Alternatives for Cold Weather

In case your baby isn’t comfortable with swaddling or shows signs like rolling, you can switch swaddling with many warmth-embracing alternatives, like:

• Microfleece jumpsuit or pajamas
• TOG-rated sleep sack
• Wearable quilted blanket
• Swaddle with free hands
• Thermal sleepwear
• Layered clothing

Layering Techniques for Extra Warmth

Clothing layers form an important part of winter sleepwear for newborns to provide them with the necessary warmth and comfort.

The layering should be chosen based on the fabric's breathability and the temperature of the environment.

Here is a list of safe winter swaddling techniques to promote undisturbed sleep in babies during winters.

For room temperature ranging between:

• 20 degree celsius to 22 degree celsius: Make a cotton bodysuit or jumpsuit or lightweight cotton pajama set as the base layer, followed by a sleep sack of 1.5 TOG.
• 15 degree celsius to 20 degree celsius: Let cotton fabric be the first layer, following it with a thermal layer, and use a sleep sack of 2.5 TOG and an extra lightweight woolen blanket on top, if required.
• Below 15 degrees Celsius: Clad your baby in full-sized thermal clothes and use a sleep sack of 3.5 TOG, followed by a fleece blanket on top, if required.

Tips to add or remove layers depending on the indoor temperature

It is very important to monitor your baby’s body temperature regularly to add or remove the layers as and when needed. This can be done by:

• Checking the temperature of tips of hands, feet, nose, and ears and covering them if necessary.
• Ensuring that the chest, neck, and back remain warm and not too hot or sweaty.
• Avoiding over-layering the baby at all costs to prevent overheating.
• Ensuring the sleep sack is spacious enough for the baby to move their legs and hands but also comfortable enough to keep the baby warm.
• Keeping the head covered at all times, except for when it feels sweaty.

Maintaining a Safe Sleeping Temperature

In order to maintain an optimal room temperature for a baby in winter, it is necessary to regulate the inside temperature in accordance with the outdoor temperature.

The most suitable temperature for a baby’s peaceful sleep is 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. The temperature below this is considered chilling for the babies, thus making them vulnerable to hypothermia, overheating, or SIDS, if not dressed up or swaddled appropriately.

You can also maintain the room temperature and clean sleeping environment with a thermostat and humidifier.

Thermostat helps in maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the night and the humidifier helps in moistening the dry air of winter. Humidifiers also help in clearing out the mucus and promote a healthy breathing environment for the tiny tot.

It is very essential to monitor your baby’s temperature in order to assess their condition.

However, ensure both of them are placed at a safe distance from the baby to avoid unfortunate incidents.

Signs Your Baby is Too Warm or Too Cold

There are some obvious signs that can help you assess appropriate winter sleep tips for newborns. These include:

1. Signs of overheating

• Sweaty neck, head, chest, and hairline.
• Flushed or red skin that might also look blotchy.
• Rapid heartbeat, where the heartbeat exceeds 60 beats per minute.
• Restlessness or fussiness
• Dehydration

What to do:

• Remove the extra layers immediately.
• Drop the room temperature.
• Give your baby breastmilk or a formula of hydration.
• Give skin-to-skin contact to help them ease.

2. Signs of hypothermia

• Cool temperature of hands, feet, nose, ears, chest, neck, and back.
• Shivering is common within 3 months.
• Pale or bluish skin
• Lethargy
• Slow breathing

What to do:

• Add required layers of clothing.
• Warm the room temperature
• Layer the baby with a fleece or wool blanket.
• Skin-to-skin contact to help them relax

How to check your baby’s temperature

It is always recommended to check the temperature at:

• Neck: The blood vessels in the neck portion are larger, and the skin there is more sensitive compared to others. This makes it easy to detect the temperature changes. Also, unlike the tips of hands or feet, the neck remains resistant to external factors.
• Chest: It is the central part of the body, surrounded by loads of fats and tissues, which makes it resistant to the external environment. Chest shows the exact temperature change in the body.
• Ears: The thin skin of the ears increases its sensitivity to temperature changes. Also, its location near the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating the body's temperature, makes it an ideal spot for temperature detection.

Avoiding Common Winter Swaddling Mistakes

It is highly mandatory to follow the safe winter swaddling techniques to prevent severe repercussions and promote a healthy sleep in babies.

The mistakes that should be avoided include:

• Avoid using heavy blankets to prevent suffocation, overheating, and SIDS in babies.
• Covering the head at all times can lead to overheating due to the expulsion of maximum heat from their head region.
• Avoid over-layering the baby and add or remove the layers as and when required.
• Avoid weighted sleep products, including sleep sacks, blankets, soft toys, or anything that could lead to a baby's suffocation.
• Stop swaddling the baby when they begin rolling to promote healthier growth and development of their body.
• Ensure the swaddling is not too tight near the hip region to prevent hip dysplasia.
• Do not use non-breathable material, as that could trap air and moisture and increase the risk of rashes and overheating in babies.
• Do not leave the baby unattended for a long time, and keep monitoring their temperature.
• Avoid swaddling the active babies, as that might hamper their essential motor skill development.
• Swaddling tightly around the baby’s arms might cause discomfort and startle the babies. It might also lead to difficulty in self-regulating the body temperature.

Winter Swaddling Safety Tips for Outdoor Time

Outdoor time during cold weather demands extra cautiousness compared to indoors due to high exposure to the actual weather.

Hence, the winter swaddling safety tips for new parents when stepping outdoors include:

• Avoid the baby's exposure to temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius or ensure that the baby is fully clothed to prevent the risk of hypothermia.
• Ensure to maintain the order of the three-layered clothing.
• Make sure to have a windproof swaddle or sleep sack for the baby to prevent direct exposure to cold winds.
• Do not forget to cover their hands with windproof or woolen gloves and ears with a monkey cap to enhance the warmth.
• Remove the extra layers of clothing when stepping indoors to prevent the risk of overheating.
• Always use a breathable fabric for swaddling and strictly avoid huge jackets for the same.
• Dress your baby in waterproof outer layers to keep your baby dry and prevent the risk of cold, flu, or pneumonia.

Transitioning Out of Swaddling as Winter Ends

There are various signs depicted by children that show their readiness to transition out of swaddling.

Signs for a gradual transition

• Active baby showing increased mobility
• Baby sucking their thumbs shows the ability to self-soothe.
• Restlessness in the swaddle and trying to get out.
• Can roll and lay on their stomach.
• Disrupted sleep cycle.
• Showing essential motor skills.

Tips to promote gradual transition

• Use a sleep sack with arm holes.
• As the winter ends, accommodate your baby by slowly reducing their layers with time to prevent temperature shock in them.
• You can also do one-arm swaddling or loosen it to help them accept the transition.
• Switch to a light-weight sleepsack.
• Monitor the baby's temperature in response to room temperature.
• Ensure to keep the baby’s arms free to help them learn about the new sleep positions.

Conclusion

This blog has highlighted the important facts, tips, and tricks about swaddling the babies during winters.

However, remember that every baby is different. Therefore, as caretakers, it is important to notice possible baby cues, signs, and emotions to fully understand their demands and needs with time.

Lastly, ensure to monitor your baby’s temperature at regular intervals to assess their body temperature changes.

 Also Read:

1. Top 5 Ways to Protect Newborns in Cold Weather
2. Keeping Your Baby Warm: Tips for Diapering in Indian Winters
3. Cold Weather Diapering Tips for New Parents
4. Best Ways to Shield a Baby from Seasonal Coughs and Colds
5. Indian Sleep Training Methods to Get Your Baby Sleeping Through the Night

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