Baby Sleep Essentials & Bedding

Common baby sleep essentials include appropriately sized sleepwear, a fitted crib sheet and, depending on your baby's developmental stage, a swaddle or sleep sack. Your baby's age, development, room conditions and bedtime routine will help determine what you need. Always follow current safe-sleep guidance and the instructions provided with each product.

A swaddle wraps around a young baby's body and typically keeps the arms contained, while a sleep sack is a wearable sleep layer generally designed to leave the arms free. Stop swaddling when your baby shows signs of trying to roll, and follow current safe-sleep guidance and the product's instructions.

Choose a baby sleep sack by checking your baby's measurements against the product's size chart, then consider the TOG rating and room conditions. It should fit according to the manufacturer's guidance, particularly around the neck and arm openings. Check the individual product instructions before choosing a size or TOG.

What your baby wears under a sleep sack depends on room temperature, the product's TOG rating and manufacturer guidance. Warmer and cooler conditions may require different sleepwear layers, so follow the recommendations provided for your specific sleep sack rather than using the same combination year-round.

There is no single material that is best for every baby or season. Consider softness, fabric weight, breathability, construction, care requirements and the conditions in which the sleepwear will be worn. Loulou Lollipop uses materials including TENCEL™ Lyocell and muslin across selected sleep products.

Check your baby's current measurements against the size chart for the specific sleepwear product rather than choosing only by age. For sleep sacks, pay particular attention to the fit around the neck and arm openings and follow the individual product's sizing instructions.

TOG (Thermal Overall Grade) indicates the level of thermal insulation provided by a sleep sack. A lower TOG generally provides less insulation, while a higher TOG provides more. Consider the TOG rating together with room temperature, clothing layers and the manufacturer's guidance when choosing an appropriate option.