Sleeping Bags For Hot Weather

Most people think of children’s sleeping bags as thick and warm and good for the winter time. As a result, when the weather gets warmer, or people travel (such as on a vacation) to a place where it’s hotter than where they are now, they often stop using sleeping bags, even if their child is used to them to help them sleep.

Just because the weather is warmer you don’t need to stop using a sleeping bag for your child. No, sleeping bags can be used all year round as they come in a variety of different materials and thicknesses, designed for all but the hottest weather. When summer comes around where we live (as opposed to all the wind and rain at the moment!) I like to use thin cotton sleeping bags, so that they breath naturally and keep my son from getting too hot.

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Why keep using a sleeping bag?

Some people ask me “why use a sleeping bag at all?” and instead just use summer pajamas. And that’s fine for some kids, but if your child is really used to a sleeping bag, like mine is, then this might have an impact on sleep. The reason for this that children love routine. And sleep time is no different. So if your child regularly wears a sleeping bag then they’ll feel better in a sleeping bag, and will more likely be able to go to sleep by themselves, as they associate wearing a sleeping bag with sleep time. As a result, even thought the weather is different your child’s routine is not impacted, hopefully meaning a better night’s sleep.

What to look for?

As I mentioned before, lightweight breathable materials are best for warm weather sleeping bags. This means your child will not get too hot and sweaty in their sleeping bag and will be more comfortable. Natural fibers like cotton are ideal for this, but cotton blends will do as well. Try and ensure that for cotton blends there is not too much artificial material – like polyester – in the blend. Anything more than 40% is not suitable, and the less polyester the better.

Bags that are made completely from synthetic materials are not suitable for hot weather as they are uncomfortable. In addition to not breathing like natural materials, and being hotter and sweatier, they may irritate your child’s skin more with increased humidity. So stay away.

What about really hot weather?

Of course, if the weather is really hot then a sleeping bag may not be appropriate. Even the thinnest and lightest sleeping bag might be too much for your child in really hot weather. On days like these I find it is usually best simply to let my son sleep in as little as possible, often just a night time diaper. Such heat tends to tire children out and make them sleepy, so when the mercury soars then issues of routine are usually cast aside, and just making sure your child is comfortable is really the most important thing.

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