Bedding types, clothing and room temperature

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'A sleepsuit is fine for baby to sleep in or in the summer just a vest and a nappy or just a nappy is also OK. They don't need loads of layers and they don't need hats, gloves or socks to stay warm while they sleep.'
Gail Johnson, Royal College of Midwives

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It's important that the baby doesn't get too hot or can easily slip under the covers, so it's best to buy a couple of cellular blankets because they're light. Remember that whatever you buy needs to be easy to wash too.

Baby sleeping bags, like Grobags, have become really popular over the last few years and are recommended by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).

They're designed to fit over the baby's shoulders so they can't slip down into them and risk their heads becoming covered and you don't need to use any other bedding with them.

Like adult bedding they're different tog ratings and you choose which one to use and what the baby wears with it according to the temperature in the room.

It's good to get a reliable room thermometer - the Grobag Egg is a popular choice, costing around £21, and it changes colour according to the temperature so you can see at a glance which tog to use and what the baby should wear.

Here are some useful guidelines:
Below 16°C: 2.5 tog sleeping bag plus vest under long-sleeved sleepsuit.
16°C-19°C: 2-2.5 tog sleeping bag plus long-sleeved sleepsuit.
20°C-24°C: 1-1.5 tog sleeping bag and vest.
25°C plus: 0.5 tog sleeping bag and nappy, or just a vest alone.

If you like you could use cotton blankets and sheets instead. These are easy to layer so you can add or take away when you think the baby is too hot or too cold.

By Louise O'Connell and Anna Penniceard