What to put kids in when the overnight low is 24 degrees and the ceiling fan is doing its best.
It is 9pm in January. The storm that was supposed to cool everything down rolled through at four o’clock, dumped rain on the washing and left behind a thick, sticky air that feels like a warm towel. You have just finished bath time, and your toddler is already sweaty again before you have found a clean pair of pyjamas.
If you are raising little ones anywhere from the Sunshine Coast down to the Gold Coast, you know this feeling. Our summer nights do not cool off the way southern parents imagine. When the overnight minimum sits in the mid-twenties and the humidity is above 80 per cent, working out what your kids should sleep in becomes a nightly puzzle.
Here is what has worked in our house, along with what the safe sleep experts recommend.
First, the safe sleep basics
Red Nose Australia’s advice is simple: dress your baby as you would dress yourself to be comfortable in the same room. Overheating is a real concern for babies, so the aim is comfortable, not cosy.
A few non-negotiables apply in every season:
- Keep your baby’s head and face uncovered. No hats or beanies for sleep.
- Put babies to sleep on their back in a safe cot, with no loose bedding, pillows or bumpers.
- Check your baby’s temperature by feeling their chest or the back of their neck. Hands and feet are usually cooler and are not a reliable guide.
If your baby feels hot or sweaty, remove a layer.
A room thermometer is one of the most useful things you can buy for a Queensland nursery. It takes the guesswork out of every other decision.
Babies: less is more (but not nothing)
On the hottest, stickiest nights, a lot of Queensland parents end up putting babies to bed in just a nappy. That can be fine in a very warm room, but a single light layer often helps babies sleep better. It absorbs sweat so it is not sitting on their skin, and it stops their arms and legs sticking to the cot sheet.
That is why the humble baby romper earns its place in a Queensland wardrobe. A short-sleeved or sleeveless romper in a breathable fabric covers the essentials without trapping heat. Look for:
- Breathable fabric. Cotton and bamboo-based fabrics are popular for good reason. They feel light and cool against the skin.
- Short sleeves and legs for the peak of summer, long sleeves for air-conditioned rooms.
- A zip or easy poppers for nappy changes. You will be doing a lot of them in the dark, and a zip that runs from neck to ankle is much easier than a row of tiny poppers when you are half asleep.
If your baby sleeps in a swaddle or sleeping bag, pair it with the lightest TOG you can find (0.2 TOG is common for summer) and a light romper or singlet underneath. Some brands, like Love to Dream, make 0.2 TOG swaddles and sleeping bags designed for exactly this kind of heat.
Toddlers and big kids: the pyjama negotiation
Once children are in a big bed, you lose the cot and gain an opinionated small person with strong views about dinosaurs, unicorns and whether shorts are “real pyjamas.”
For summer, short-sleeved, short-legged sets win every time. When you are shopping for kids pyjamas, fabric matters more than anything else. Polyester and heavy fleece hold heat and sweat. Light cotton or viscose from bamboo lets air move and dries faster, which helps when the humidity is doing its thing.
Fit counts too. Kids’ sleepwear in Australia carries a fire hazard label, and snug-fitting styles tend to carry the lowest risk rating, so snug is the safer choice for nightwear. Aim for close to the body but not tight at the waistband or cuffs, where sweat can build up and cause irritation.
Some families keep one “hot night” set and one “air con night” set per child. It sounds fussy, but it saves a 10pm search through the drawers.
Fans, air con and the room itself
What your kids wear is only half the equation. The room does the rest.
- Ceiling fans help air move, even when they are not making the room cooler. Keep them on a low to medium setting and make sure no cords are within reach of the cot.
- Air conditioning set to around 24 to 26 degrees keeps things comfortable without chilling the room. If you use air con, you may need slightly more coverage, such as long sleeves or a slightly heavier sleeping bag.
- Block the afternoon sun. Closing blinds or curtains on west-facing windows by early afternoon makes a big difference by bedtime.
Skip heavy cot bumpers and quilts. They are not recommended for babies anyway, and they trap heat.
A quick summer sleep checklist
Before you turn off the light:
- Check the room temperature.
- Choose one light, breathable layer.
- Feel the back of your child’s neck. Warm and dry is ideal. Hot and damp means remove a layer.
- Keep a spare set of pyjamas and a clean cot sheet in easy reach for night sweats and nappy leaks.
Surviving the season
Summer in South East Queensland is long, and the stickiest nights usually arrive just when you need a good night’s sleep the most. A little planning with fabrics, fans and layers goes a long way.
And on the nights when nobody sleeps well regardless, remember that the beach is only a short drive away, and there is no better cure for a cranky, overheated family than an early morning swim before the sun gets too high.
