Get the tips you need to swaddle your baby even when it is hot outside. Your baby needs to be able to be swaddled to sleep well, and this post will help you do so!

Swaddling a baby is a great way to help the baby sleep better. Swaddling helps control the Moro reflex that can startle the baby to wake up. A swaddle is comforting and soothing.
When the weather gets hot, however, you can find yourself wondering if it is safe to swaddle your baby, and if so, how to swaddle without your baby getting too hot.
Post Contents
Swaddling is Okay in the Summer
Frist of all, yes, swaddling is safe in the summer! This is good news because it helps your baby sleep better. There are some precautions to take and things to do to help your baby be safe and still swaddled.
Swaddling can of course increase the chance that your baby will overheat, so you will want to make sure you are doing things to make sure your baby isn’t too hot. If your baby is sweating, has red cheeks, damp hair, or heat rash after a nap, you need to do more to prevent your baby from being too hot with the swaddle. There are lots of ideas below to help you out with that.
How to Swaddle Your Baby When it is Hot Outside
Young babies sleep so much better when swaddled. But no one sleeps well when they are super hot. You want to be able to swaddle your baby for as long as she needs it and not stop just because it is hot.
Here are some ideas.
Lower the temperature in the room. My girls were all swaddled for a time during the summer. My personal way to fix this was to keep the room cool enough for the baby to be swaddled and be comfortable. You can do that through air-conditioning or a fan.
Use light-weight swaddle blankets. I also used light-weight swaddle blankets. Find swaddled that use lightweight, breathable fabrics. Cotton muslin is a good option.
The Aden By aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blanket is a lightweight swaddle blanket that was highly recommended. Woombie Air Ventilated Baby Swaddle is a product designed to avoid over-heating and this one is for summer Woombie Summer Onesie. Anna&Eve Swaddle Strap was also recommended. This is great because it just swaddled the arms so your entire baby’s body is not covered. Most swaddle blankets have a lightweight version. You could also use a flat sheet.
Keep the swaddle loose. It is good to keep the swaddle loose enough that your baby’s skin can breathe and not get too hot. You want some airflow. You do need to be sure you do not make it so loose that it comes off and your baby is sleeping with a loose blanket in the crib. So a little looser is okay, but not so loose it can come off.
Dress lighter. Use your swaddle blanket with just a diaper under it. This is one idea I had when contemplating the difficulty. Use whatever swaddle blanket you like and wear only a diaper with it for sleeping.
Control temperature of room. This is something I do and did. Have the nursery be between 65-75 degrees. This might mean getting a fan or turning up the AC more this summer than your normally would.
Leave legs free when swaddled. This way the baby won’t be so hot. A few of the blankets linked in the “lightweight blanket” section above are designed for that, so check them out!
Stop Swaddling/Start Weaning. One comment offered was to just stop swaddling. Many people shared this sentiment. “It may take a few nights, but [your child] will adjust. I promise,” offered Renee. Stopping the swaddle is definite viable possibility. I don’t think this is the right answer for every baby out there–I think some need to be swaddled longer. There are some products to help gently wean from a swaddle–Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit is one and Zipadee-zip is another. Zipadee-zip was highly, highly applauded on this thread, so check that out if you are looking for a weaning blanket. You can find it at https://zipadeezip.com/
Conclusion
Do the best you can to keep your baby in the swaddle if she still needs it. If you can’t do that and keep her cool enough, work to drop the swaddle and do what you need to in order to get solid sleep from her. Make sure you are very aware of my sleep hierarchy so you know what to prioritize with sleep.
Related Posts
- How to Help Your Baby Sleep Better With Swaddling
- Gentle Sleep Training: The Four S’s
- Everything You Need to Know About Dropping the Swaddle
- When To Stop Swaddling Your Baby
This post first appeared on this blog in June of 2014
Hello! I have been reading your blog ever since my son was bornWe are trying to transition out of swaddle, as my son is almost 5 months old. He is currently in the Merlin suit, which is doing really well with. However, he gets babysat a couple times a week and I cannot control how cool they will keep their house. So I feel like now that its 100 degrees ( I am in So Cal) I need to get him out. I have tried with naps a couple times, and he just isn't having it. I did jammies and a sleep sack wrapped around his tummy. Is there another way to transition out of merlin suit? Should I just stick it out a couple days and hope he gets use to it?
If you are in a position where he needs to stop being swadddled, I think your best bet is to just go for it and hope for the best. You will also need to accept that if he isn't quite ready to not be swaddled, sleep will not be as good for a while, but at some point, he should get used to the non-swaddle and sleep normal again.
Thanks for sharing about it Lori!