😴 Sleep · Birth to 2 years
🌙 Dressing baby for sleep: the TOG guide
TOG describes a sleep sack's insulation: a higher number generally means more warmth. It is not a universal outfit prescription. Choose clothing for the actual room, the product's instructions and your baby's comfort, while avoiding overheating.
Choose layers thoughtfully
- A room thermometer can help you notice changes with air-conditioning, weather or power interruptions.
- For warm rooms, a lightweight outfit or a low-TOG sack may be enough; a sleep sack is optional.
- For cooler air-conditioned rooms, follow the specific sack manufacturer's layering guidance rather than combining several heavy layers.
- Choose a correctly sized, unweighted sack that cannot slip over baby's face and leaves the head uncovered.
Nighttime checks
1. Read the product guide
Check the sack's TOG, size and suggested clothing combinations. Different fabrics and designs behave differently, so do not treat a generic temperature chart as a safety guarantee.
2. Check the chest or upper back
Feel baby's chest or upper back rather than judging by hands and feet alone. Sweaty skin, a hot chest or damp hair suggest too much warmth: remove a layer and reassess.
3. Adapt to the room
Use light, breathable clothing in hot conditions. Keep fan cords inaccessible and avoid a strong direct draft. If air-conditioning stops, reassess layers. Do not add a hat indoors for sleep.
4. Keep the crib clear
Put baby on their back on a flat, firm mattress in their own sleep space, with no pillows, loose blankets, toys or bumpers. Share your room for at least six months. A sack does not make bedsharing or sofa sleep safe.
5. Do not mistake illness for a clothing problem
If baby feels unusually hot or seems unwell, measure their temperature. Under three months, 38°C or above needs urgent assessment. Breathing difficulty, blue colour or floppiness requires emergency help through 911.
Classic mistakes
- ❌ Chasing a fixed cold-room target You do not need to cool every Philippine home to a single temperature. Focus on comfortable conditions, appropriate layers and checking baby.
- ❌ Using weighted sleep products Avoid weighted sacks, blankets and swaddles. If using a swaddle, stop as soon as baby shows signs of trying to roll.
A local detail, or your own experience with this guide? Write to the team
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When in doubt, contact your doctor or midwife. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.