What Kind of Children's Bedding
Is Best For Winter?
When you become a parent, you're faced with endless questions, worries and decisions that you never could have predicted - one of which is how do I keep my child warm at night? But not TOO warm? But warm enough? It can sometimes feel like an endless problem that never really gets solved as here in the UK the nighttime temperatures are constantly changing.
We’re here to help! As bedding experts and parents ourselves, we know the struggle, so we have outlined some guides below that should help you to feel more confident at taking on those nighttime chills.
A word about nighttime temperatures
The temperature usually drops throughout the night, but many people assume that the coldest point is the middle of the night. Actually, it’s right before the dawn, as this is when the sun has been set for the longest, so the warmth has had lots of time to rise and dissipate. It’s worth bearing this in mind if your child is waking up just an hour or two earlier than usual but sleeping through most of the night - they might just be feeling the pre-dawn cold!
What temperature should a child’s bedroom be?
It is important to monitor the temperature of a baby’s bedroom and not let it get too hot, as babies cannot effectively regulate their own temperature, and are at increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome if they sleep in an overly warm environment. The Lullaby Trust recommend a room temperature of 16-20°C for whichever room the baby sleeps in. This may feel a little chillier than you might expect, but it is best to keep it on the cool side for babies. For older children, the room should just be a comfortable temperature. Older children can regulate their body temperature, and can also throw off the duvet or add some cosy socks themselves when they need to. Just like us grown-ups, most children find it uncomfortable to sleep in a room that’s too warm, so often it’s best to keep the room slightly cool and adjust layers of bedding and pyjamas to keep them cosy.
What to consider when you choose baby bedding
A baby’s skin is very delicate. Many parents take care to choose gentle bath products and lotions, to avoid any harsh chemicals soaking into the skin, but they forget to think about their bedding! A baby will spend much of its time napping in bed, so it's skin will be exposed to that fabric for many hours. So it's wise to consider bedding that is made from cotton which is certified organic, rather than non-organic cotton which can be treated with pesticides during the growing process and finishing chemicals to make them feel soft in the store. Organic cotton is also beneficial compared to man-made fibres which can trap heat and moisture against the skin, and can be made from plastics.
Organic cotton is also asthma and allergy-friendly, which is important for sensitive baby respiratory systems.
What bedding should a child have in Winter?
The nights seem to suddenly get a lot colder from September onward. As the evenings get darker and the days get colder, the nights get frosty and cold and it’s time to get the cosy winter bedding on. When creating a snoozy retreat for your child for winter nights, consider the materials your bedding is made of. All Kabode fitted sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers are made of 100% organic cotton, which is a natural fibre to prevent any sweaty overheating, and breathable to prevent any moisture build-up.
There is no set guideline of how warm a child’s bedroom or bedding should be, so choose a duvet that is just warm enough without being too hot, but keep a quilt nearby to layer on top if children get chilly in the night. Kabode quilts are perfect for this as they are made of 100% organic cotton so make a great, breathable additional layer that allows ventilation but provides warmth.
Why use a wool duvet?
Wool is a fantastic natural, sustainable material. Every sheep grows a fleece, and that fleece needs to be sheared each year for the health and comfort of the sheep. The wool can then be cleaned, spun and turned into soft, squishy filling for duvets and pillows.
Wool is naturally bouncy and springy, so it settles around you with a satisfying weight, but makes for a lofty, fluffy filling.
If you compare wool to a man-made synthetic fibre filling, wool wins hands down. It naturally keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, is hypoallergenic and if it does end up in landfill it will biodegrade in a few months. Compare that to a synthetic fibre which is petrochemical-based so retains heat even if you don’t want it, uses fossil fuels and unsustainable resources to manufacture, and never breaks down or biodegrades. Not to mention that man-made fibres require factories full of polluting machinery to be made, whereas wool just needs a sheep, grass and water!
Kabode’s wool duvet will keep your little one cool when it's hot, and warm when it's not. They are made from 100% certified organic cotton outer and a filling made from 100% Australian wool which is certified by Woolmark.
Our wool duvets are available in both a cot and cot bed size, so as your child progresses from their cot to their very first toddler bed, they will always be comfortable and can continue getting a great night's sleep or nap.
Don’t let Jack Frost give your child any chilly toes this winter, follow the tips above to create a perfectly comfy and cosy sleep-time space, so that they can sleep their way through all those long Winter nights uninterrupted.