How to Help Your Baby Sleep Through Hot Summer Nights

Summer is here, and along with it come those hot, sticky nights that can wreck sleep for the whole family — especially the smallest member. Babies are way more sensitive to temperature shifts than adults, so when the room heats up, they have a harder time falling asleep and staying that way. To drift off, their core body temperature actually needs to dip a little, which is tough when the air around them won't cool off. So how do you help your baby sleep peacefully when it's hot outside?

We pulled together expert-backed tips, including insights from Caroline Ferriol, a renowned French infant-sleep expert and founder of Fée Dodo, author of the bestselling guide The Great Guide to My Baby's Sleep. Layered with AAP safe-sleep guidance, here's a practical playbook for keeping your child cool, safe, and well-rested even in the dog days of summer.

Dressing Your Baby for the Bedroom Temperature

For solid sleep, the AAP recommends keeping your baby's room around 68–72°F — though many sleep experts say anywhere from 64–72°F can work. The trick is matching what your baby is wearing to the room temperature so they're not too warm and not too cold.

Quick reminder on AAP safe-sleep basics: always place your baby on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface, with no loose blankets, pillows, bumpers, or stuffed animals in the crib. A well-fitted sleep sack does the warming job a blanket would — safely.

How should you dress your baby when the temperature climbs?

• 68–72°F: A long-sleeve onesie, cotton pajamas, and a TOG 1 sleep sack (TOG = Thermal Overall Grade; higher TOG = warmer). Or a short-sleeve onesie + cotton pajamas + a TOG 2 sleep sack.
• 72–75°F: A short-sleeve or sleeveless onesie with a TOG 1 sleep sack should keep your baby comfy.
• 75–81°F: Go with a sleeveless onesie and a lightweight TOG 1 sleep sack.
• Above 81°F: Just a diaper plus a very lightweight muslin sleep sack may be plenty. Always do a quick check on the back of the neck — sweaty means lose a layer.

Stick with breathable, natural fabrics like cotton, linen, muslin, or bamboo for both clothing and bedding. Synthetics trap heat and tend to backfire on hot nights.

Keeping the Bedroom Cool (Before You Crank the AC)

Before you reach for the thermostat, a few low-tech moves can make a big dent in the room temperature:

• Air it out early: Open windows in the cool early morning to flush out the warm air, then shut things tight before the day heats up.
• Block the sun: Drop the blinds and pull blackout curtains or shades during the hottest part of the day. This can drop a room's temperature by several degrees.
• Watch humidity: A small dehumidifier helps if your home runs muggy.

If the room still won't cool down, central air, a window AC unit, or a portable AC can save the day — just don't aim the airflow straight at your baby. Set it to gentle mode or use the swing/sweep function so the air circulates instead of blasting one spot. Most modern units also have a quiet mode, which helps keep noise from waking your baby.

Our NESTE UP 2 travel crib was designed with hot nights in mind — the mesh ventilation panels let air flow freely around your baby, helping maintain a steady temperature and reducing the risk of overheating.

Other Ways to Beat the Heat at Bedtime

A fan, used the right way. A box fan, tower fan, or ceiling fan can be a game-changer — just position it so it's circulating air around the room, not blowing directly on your baby. Pro tip: set a bowl of ice cubes or cold water in front of the fan to send a cooler breeze through the room.

A light water mist. A few spritzes of cool water on your baby's arms and legs can give a refreshing, evaporative cool-down. Just don't soak their clothes, sheets, or crib — you don't want extra humidity.

A pre-bed bath. A warm or slightly cool bath right before bedtime helps lower your baby's core temperature and signals it's time to wind down. Keep the water on the warmer side of cool — not below about 95°F — to avoid a temperature shock. Pat dry, then dress them for the room.

Hydration matters. Babies dehydrate fast in the heat because of their higher metabolic rate and smaller body size. Keeping fluids up helps regulate body temperature and lowers the risk of heat exhaustion.

How to keep your baby well hydrated in the heat

If your baby is breastfed, offer the breast more often — nursed babies often want shorter, more frequent feeds when it's hot. If you're formula feeding, offer the bottle a bit more often too. For babies over 6 months who've started solids, you can offer small sips of water from a sippy cup. Toddlers can keep a leak-proof water bottle nearby for self-serve sips during the night.

Things to Avoid

• Overdressing or overcovering: Stick to lightweight cotton and a sleep-sack TOG that matches the room. Skip blankets in the crib.
• Drafts: Don't put the crib right under or next to a fan or AC vent — steady cool airflow on a sleeping baby can over-cool them.
• Setting the AC too low: Cranking the thermostat to 60°F backfires — too cold disrupts sleep and can irritate little airways. Aim for that 68–72°F sweet spot.
• Direct sunlight: Don't let the crib or playmat sit in a beam of direct sun, even through a window. It heats up fast and can lead to overheating or heat-related illness.

Who Is Caroline Ferriol?

Caroline Ferriol is a French infant-sleep expert with a background in relationship psychology. She's the founder of Fée Dodo and author of The Great Guide to My Baby's Sleep, which became a bestseller in France for its mix of cutting-edge sleep science and gentle, positive parenting principles. Her philosophy reframes infant sleep through a deep understanding of sleep physiology, emotions, and family dynamics — helping parents work with their baby's natural rhythms instead of against them.

Bottom line: a cool room, breathable layers, AAP-safe sleep practices, and a little extra hydration go a long way. Set the stage right and your baby (and you) can ride out the hottest nights of summer with sleep mostly intact.