What is TOG and how to dress babies for sleep.
Today we will be talking all about TOG ratings, sleep sacks and how to dress your baby for sleep depending on the temperature.
WHAT IS A TOG RATING?
TOG means thermal Overall Grade and is a measurement of heat which determines how much warmth the fabric or garment offers. The higher the TOG the warmer the fabric. Think of a 1.0 TOG sleep sack as one layer and 2.0 TOG as if your baby is wearing 2 layers.
The TOG number of your child’s sleep sack should largely depend on the temperature in the baby’s room, NOT the weather outside. A higher TOG for cooler temps and a lower TOG for warmer temps.If it’s 30 degrees outside, but your heater is on and the nursery says it’s 81 degrees, then you do NOT want to dress your baby in a 3.5 TOG sleep sack and layer it underneath as well or your baby can easily overheat. You must use good judgement when dressing your baby and always consider the temperature in the room first before the weather outside.
So let’s recap what I just wrote about TOG
Learn about TOG and use them judiciously.
Babies aren’t great a regulating their own body temperature, especially preemies. If a baby is dressed in sleep sack that is too warm for the room, it’s more likely that he will overheat. Since overheating is a risk factor for SIDS, it’s something to be mindful of at all times.
The higher the TOG level, the warmer it will keep your baby. It can helpful to use the TOG levels in today’s post to each corresponding temperature in the chart.
It’s imperative to use your judgement here. If you have the heat turned on high in the winter, you may not want to use a winter sleep sack with a higher TOG rating. Conversely, if the ac is blasting in the summer and your baby’s room is cold, a sleep sack with a low TOG rating may not be enough to keep her warm. Always judge by the temperature in your baby’s room, not outside.
A 1.0 TOG is usually a safe bet, because you can always add or remove layers underneath the sleep sack (onesie, pajamas) if baby seems to warm or cold. Dressing your baby in a sleep sack with 1.0 TOG is like giving your baby 1 blanket. Every level upwards is like adding another layer, and every level downwards is like giving a thinner, lighter blanket.
Bear in mind that it’s always safer for your baby to be slightly cool rather than slightly warm when sleeping.
Is my baby too hot or cold?
Do you know what to look for to determine if your baby is overheating or too overdressed for sleep?
As parents, for some reason we assume that our babies are going to freeze and we tend to bundle them up way more than we really need to! Please keep in mind that babies can’t regulate their body temperature like adults do so they can overheat quickly if dressed with too many layers. So choose your sleep sack wisely make sure the tog level isn’t too high if your baby’s room is running on the warmer side.
Keep these things in mind when dressing your baby for sleep…
Overheating is a risk of SIDS and we want to be mindful of that when layering our babies for sleep. A good rule of thumb is to dress baby in one layer more than you are wearing as an adult. If it’s freezing cold outside and your house either has poor insulation or you just prefer it to remain cooler inside the house, then you can layer your baby appropriately. So take the extra step to check the thermostat and dress your baby appropriately.
Babies are more sensitive to temperatures because they are little and have a harder time regulating their own body heat/temp. But by around 11-12 weeks or so, babies' bodies start to regulate their temperature at night just like adults do, so if it is indeed chilly in the room, it’s ok to add an extra layer on your little one and it’s recommended to add one more layer than you’d normally wear as an adult.You can dress your infant in one more layer than you’d normally wear and add or remove layers accordingly based on the temperature in the room - not the weather outside!
A comfortable temperature is anywhere between 68-73 degrees. Below 68 and it can be too chilly and above 73 it can start to get too warm.
Check your child’s temperature to make sure that their extremities (hands, feet, and head) are not too hot or too cold to the touch. When checking your baby’s temperature, their tummy and chest should feel warm and dry, not sweaty or cold. This is a sign that they are dressed too hot or too cold.
Signs that your baby is too hot or overheating:
Baby is hot or sweaty to the touch
Their tummy, hands, feet, back and neck are hot or clammy.
Baby has damp hair
flushed cheeks
Increased breathing rate
TOG Ratings
Here’s a all you need to know About TOG ratings and what you should pair with your baby’s sleep sacks depending on the TOG level.
.2-.5 TOG
Ideal for very warm rooms of temps between 23-26°C (75-80°F) this room temp is generally too warm for babies, so pair with just a diaper or a short sleeve onesie. If the room is really hot then just a sleep sack will be enough!
1.0 TOG
Ideal for year-round or ‘universal TOG’, for warmer rooms between 21-23°C (68-73°F). This is the most common TOG that people get because it’s universal, good for most temperatures and you can easily add or remove layers with this TOG rating without worrying about overheating.
2.5 TOG
Is a mid-heavy weight that is ideal for rooms between 16-20°C (61-68°F). You can dress your baby in a short sleeve onesie with a cotton footed pajama or just the footed pajama depending on the insulation in the room.
3.0 TOG
Is a heavy weight that is ideal for colder rooms between 16-20°C (57-64°F). You want to make sure you’re layering appropriately here so that your baby doesn’t get too cold. A short sleeve onsie and a cotton footed pajama are ok underneath this sleep sack.
As I mentioned, you want to dress your baby according to the temperature in the nursery, not the weather outside. See the chart below for a better understanding of TOG ratings and what you should pair with it for sleep. I mentioned weather/season just to give you an idea of when these sleep sacks are most commonly used and in which seasons, etc…
Fleece or no fleece?
Are you a fleece pajama lover?
If so, keep reading…Don’t get me wrong, everyone loves a good, cozy, fleece pajama, but is it the best option? It depends…Fleece is really mostly recommended for VERY cold nights where you don’t have the heater running and if your baby’s room is poorly insulated.
If you love fleece, that’s fine, you can use it but keep these things in mind…
Fleece is not a stretchy fabric and can be very uncomfortable for babies if too fitted or too small. There’s not a lot of stretch in the fabric so it can feel somewhat restricting to your baby if they don’t have enough wriggle room. If they are snug fit or super tight fleece jammies, I recommend sizing up so there’s more room in the arms and legs for baby to wriggle around in.
If you are using fleece pajamas, it’s not generally recommended to layer underneath it, again, unless the room is exceptionally cold, like under 65 degrees
If you are thinking of layering underneath a fleece pajama, use good judgement, don’t also layer under a heavy sleep sack and with an undershirt, especially if the room is at a comfortable temperature. Babies can easily overheat and we want to prevent this!
So I hope you’ve found this helpful. I know this was a ton of information, but now you hopefully have a better understanding of what TOG is and how to use it.