Baby bedding and safe sleep: the basics

Good sleep matters for your baby and for the whole family. There is a lot of baby bedding out there — sheets, sleeping bags, blankets, quilts — and it isn't always clear what a newborn really needs and what can wait. This guide covers the bedding itself and the basic, widely accepted rules of safe sleep.

The basics of safe sleep

• Always put your baby to sleep on their back — at night and for daytime naps.
• The mattress should be firm, flat and the right size for the cot, covered only with a fitted sheet of the same size.
• Don't put pillows, duvets, bumpers or soft toys in the cot.
• Avoid overheating: the room shouldn't be too warm, and your baby shouldn't be overdressed.
• It's often recommended that for the first months your baby sleeps in the same room as you, but in their own cot or bedside crib.

We've written about choosing a cot and mattress in a separate guide; here we focus on what to cover your baby with and what to dress them in.

Fitted sheets

A fitted sheet is the main bedding in a newborn's cot. It sits snugly on the mattress and doesn't wrinkle or slip.

• Choose a sheet that matches your mattress size. Our cot bed sheets, for example, measure 70 × 142 cm, for cot bed mattresses.
• It helps to have 3–4 sheets, so a clean one is always to hand when you need a quick change at night.
• Cotton jersey is soft and stretchy, which makes the sheet easy to fit over the mattress.
• Wash new sheets before the first use.

Sleeping bag or blanket

A baby sleeping bag is like a small bag with armholes that goes on over your baby's clothes. Your baby can't kick it off or pull it over their head, so they stay covered all night. That's why many parents prefer a sleeping bag to a blanket.

When choosing a sleeping bag, look at:

• Size: the neck and armholes should fit well so your baby can't slip down inside. Sleeping bags come in age sizes — for example 0–6 and 6–18 months.
• No hood: a sleeping bag shouldn't have one.
• Zip: a zip at the bottom or down the middle makes night-time nappy changes easier.
• TOG — more on that below.

For newborns there are also swaddle bags, such as the zip-up Dreampod Swaddle. Once your baby starts trying to roll over, move on to a regular sleeping bag with their arms free.

If you prefer a blanket, choose a thin one. Place your baby with their feet touching the foot of the cot and tuck the blanket in firmly under the mattress, no higher than their shoulders. Soft knitted blankets are also handy for walks. Thick quilts and pillows are for older children: the usual advice is not to use them before the age of one.

What TOG means

TOG shows how warm a sleeping bag or quilt is: the higher the number, the warmer it is.

• 1.0 TOG — for warmer rooms and the warm season.
• 2.5 TOG — for cooler rooms and the cold season.

The exact temperature ranges are on the sleeping bag's label or packaging — follow the manufacturer's chart. Winters and summers in Armenia are very different, so many families keep two sleeping bags with different TOG ratings.

Layers for the room temperature

Choose what your baby wears under the sleeping bag according to the room temperature:

• in a warm room — a light sleeping bag and a short-sleeved bodysuit;
• in a cooler room — a warmer sleeping bag and a long-sleeved bodysuit or sleepsuit;
• indoors, don't put a hat on your baby for sleep;
• don't add a blanket on top of the sleeping bag.

To check whether your baby is too warm, feel the back of their neck or their back: if it's sweaty, dress them more lightly. Cool hands and feet are usually nothing to worry about. A room thermometer helps you choose the right sleeping bag and clothes.

In short

• Your baby sleeps on their back
• Only a firm mattress and a fitted sheet in the cot
• No pillows, duvets, bumpers or toys
• The sleeping bag is the right size and TOG
• The room isn't too warm and there's a thermometer
• You have 3–4 spare sheets

You'll find Mamas & Papas sleeping bags, sheets and other bedding in our online shop or in our stores in Yerevan Mall and Dalma Garden Mall.