Are tight-fitting pajamas safe for babies?
Regardless of your fave style, baby pajamas without flame retardant are the norm. However, there are still important regulations in place to ensure the safety of infants in PJs. For one, the garments must meet certain length requirements.
In our opinion, it’s best to avoid loose fitting toddler pajamas since they’re made of uncomfortable materials and then doused with flame retardant chemicals. If buying sleepwear for children over the age of 9 months, tight fitting pajamas are the safest option.
If buying sleepwear for children over the age of 9 months, tight fitting pajamas are the safest option. Love it? PIN it! Comments will be approved before showing up. Tara Saltzburg founded Westyn Baby when her son was an infant battling severe eczema.
So Snug fit pajamas are less flammable because they minimize the amount of air between the child’s skin and the garment, squashing the ignition source. In short, it’s better and safer to stay away from flame retardant chemicals so the tight fitting pajamas with the WEAR SNUG FITTING warning are actually the ones you want.
When should you switch to baby pajamas?
According to the American Cleaning Institute, you want to change your pajamas after three or four wears (assuming you’re not wearing them all day). You’re probably already doing this, but if you stink, you ought to change your pajamas. Now, if your sense of smell is compromised for some reason. you might not be able to smell your own body odor.
Babies can sometimes need multiple changes in the middle of the night, and zipping or buttoning footie pajamas can get old when you’re running on four hours of sleep. Since gowns are open at the bottom, you can just slip the fabric up over baby’s legs and bottom, change the diaper, then slip the fabric back down. Easy peasy.
If you wear PJs or sweats that you might sleep in when you’re running quick errands to the store, you may be picking germs up then, too. Re-wearing the same pajamas may also lead to skin irritations – even if it’s not contributing to infections.
This may shock you, but a poll reported on by the Daily Mail showed that women, on average, wear their pajamas – the same set – for 17 days! Clearly that’s long enough for there to be a health issue.
Why are children’s PJs designed to be loose fitting?
In our opinion, it’s best to avoid loose fitting toddler pajamas since they’re made of uncomfortable materials and then doused with flame retardant chemicals. If buying sleepwear for children over the age of 9 months, tight fitting pajamas are the safest option.
If you’ve purchased baby or kids PJs recently, perhaps you noticed a large yellow tag that said: “For child’s safety, garments should fit snugly. These garments are not flame resistant. Loose fitting garments are more likely to catch fire.”
The act required children’s pajamas to be flame retardant. Remember – at this point in time, children’s PJs were designed to be more loose fitting. Theoretically, if a child were to accidentally come into contact with a small ignition source, the air between the child’s skin and the garment would feed the fire, causing the garment to ignite.
So Snug fit pajamas are less flammable because they minimize the amount of air between the child’s skin and the garment, squashing the ignition source. In short, it’s better and safer to stay away from flame retardant chemicals so the tight fitting pajamas with the WEAR SNUG FITTING warning are actually the ones you want.
Should I dress my newborn in Warm pajamas?
Perhaps you’ve heard about the general rule of thumb for dressing your baby for sleep: Put them in one additional layer than you would wear at night. This makes sense, as a baby should not sleep with a loose sheet or blanket.
We don’t recommend dressing your baby in fleece unless it’s extremely cold. You will probably swaddle while your baby is still young, and fleece pajamas under a swaddle could be a lot of heat for a little one. Excess heat can increase the risk of SIDS, and it’s wise to err on the side of caution.
Clothing Tips In colder weather (under 75 degrees Fahrenheit [23.88 degrees Celsius]): Your baby will need several layers of clothing to keep warm. It’s generally best to dress your baby in an undershirt and diapers, covered by pajamas or a dressing gown, and then wrap him or her in a receiving blanket.
If you use fleece sleepers or have a warmer sleep sack, you’ll likely want to leave a layer (or two) out. Use caution if you need a hat on your infant as well for sleep. It makes more sense to keep your home slightly warmer.
How should I Dress my Baby for sleep?
Perhaps you’ve heard about the general rule of thumb for dressing your baby for sleep: Put them in one additional layer than you would wear at night. This makes sense, as a baby should not sleep with a loose sheet or blanket.
The American Academy of Pediatrics 1 (AAP) recommends that babies sleep without a blanket to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but there’s no need to overbundle. On a warm night, you can dress your baby 2 in breathable cotton pajamas, a onesie, or even just a diaper coupled with a lightweight swaddle.
Studies show the ideal room temperature for sleep is around 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 – 19 degrees Celsius. Layer up with clothing and coverings from there. For safety reasons, it is very important that you not overdress your infant. Over heating increases the risk of SIDS.
You can start dressing your baby in fitted sleepwear after your baby is about three months old or sooner if you are not swaddling your baby. Choose one-piece sleepwear and avoid any sleepwear that has ribbons, ties, strings, or anything else that your baby might get tangled up in.
Can I Dress my Baby in fleece pajamas?
There are several ways to tell whether your baby needs a sleep sack while wearing fleece pajamas, including assessing the temperature of the room, the baby’s age, and how many layers of clothing an adult would need to feel comfortable in that temperature.
Do not want to dress your newborn in too-warm pajamas because she will be swaddled, too. This is an added layer that may make her too warm. And, if your baby may fall asleep in a car seat, this may also add a bit of heat.
If you use fleece sleepers or have a warmer sleep sack, you’ll likely want to leave a layer (or two) out. Use caution if you need a hat on your infant as well for sleep. It makes more sense to keep your home slightly warmer.
In the Winter, and if your toddler is prone to being cold, consider fleece pajamas or putting a t-shirt on underneath cotton pajamas plus socks. What does/did your baby or toddler wear to bed? Did your baby or toddler prefer to sleep in certain kinds of pajamas? Share below!