What should baby wear to bed at 20°C?

The NHS safer sleep guide lists 2.5 tog for 16–20°C and 1.0 tog for 20–24°C. So 20°C appears in both general ranges.

Look at the label or instructions for the bag you plan to use. Find the room-temperature range, then the suggested clothing underneath. If both bags you own include 20°C, choose one and follow its own clothing combination. Don't assume you can swap the bags while leaving every other layer the same.

The Lullaby Trust advises following the manufacturer's tog guide. It doesn't publish a single outfit chart for all bags because materials and the warmth trapped between layers differ.

The sleeping bag tog guide explains the wider ranges and fit checks.

Not automatically. The answer depends on the bag and its clothing guide. Check whether it calls for a vest, a sleepsuit or both at 20°C before adding clothes.

A short-sleeved vest and a long-sleeved sleepsuit are two layers. A long-sleeved vest under the same sleepsuit changes the warmth again. Looking at the whole outfit is more useful than counting only what you can see.

Once your baby is dressed, feel their chest or the back of their neck. Hot or sweaty skin means they need a layer removed. If their chest feels cold, adjust using the bag's guidance. Cool fingers don't mean the outfit is wrong.

Base the first choice on the room now. Extra layers for a possible early-morning chill can make your baby too warm at the start of the night.

Check the thermometer when you're in the room later. If you don't know how far the temperature falls, a thermometer with a minimum reading can help you understand the pattern.

If it settles at 18°C, check the bag's instructions for that temperature and reassess your baby. You may find the bag covers both readings, but the clothing guidance still matters.

Don't add a blanket over a sleeping bag as a quick fix. If the room regularly falls below 16°C, try to bring it towards the recommended range and ask your health visitor for help if that is difficult.

Read the 18°C guide for cooler bedrooms and falling temperatures.

Use the warmer reading when checking your bag's guide. The NHS general 1.0 tog range includes 21°C and 22°C, but the clothes underneath still depend on the bag.

If the room is warming up, reduce unnecessary layers and keep checking your baby. You don't need to wait for a new number on a chart before removing a layer from a hot or sweaty baby.

Keep the cot away from radiators and direct sun. Where safe, ventilation can help. In hot weather, the Lullaby Trust advises lighter clothing and bedding; very hot rooms need their own assessment rather than simply extending an outfit for 20°C.

• Read the room thermometer and check the instructions for the bag you're using.
• Check the bag's minimum weight and fit around the neck and arm openings. Your baby must not be able to slip inside it.
• Leave hats off and don't add blankets over the bag. Don't use weighted bedding or two sleeping bags together.
• Put your baby on their back in a clear cot with a firm, flat mattress, in the same room as you for the first six months.

For a baby born early, with a low birthweight or with health needs, ask your neonatal team or health visitor about their clothing and sleep arrangements. A general chart won't account for everything they may need.