Your baby’s room feels chilly, the crib looks bare, and the soft blanket from the baby shower is still folded in a drawer. When can baby sleep with a blanket? Here is the short answer from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), plus simple ways to keep your baby warm until then.
This question is part of our bigger safe sleep practices guide, which covers the full sleep setup step by step.
For naps, nights and routines by age, start at our baby sleep topic page.
Quick answer: when can a baby sleep with a blanket?
Keep blankets out of the crib for at least the first year. The AAP’s safe sleep advice applies to babies up to 1 year old and says to use a fitted sheet only, with nothing else in the crib. To keep your baby warm, use a wearable blanket or one extra layer of clothing.
- Under 12 months: no loose blankets, quilts, comforters, pillows or bumpers in the sleep area.
- For warmth: a wearable blanket (sleep sack) or one more layer than you would wear.
- After the first birthday: ask your pediatrician before you add a blanket.
Why blankets stay out of the crib in the first year
The AAP explains that soft objects and loose bedding can increase a baby’s risk of entrapment, suffocation or strangulation. Its list includes pillows and pillow-like toys, quilts, comforters, mattress toppers, non-fitted sheets and blankets.
The NIH Safe to Sleep campaign adds that this applies to bedding that is “lightweight, small, or tucked in” too. So under US guidance, a thin muslin blanket or a tucked-in crib blanket still counts as loose bedding.
The AAP also advises against weighted blankets, weighted sleepers and weighted swaddles.
How to keep your baby warm without a blanket
You can keep your baby cozy and still keep the crib bare. Use these steps at bedtime:
- Dress for the room. The AAP suggests one layer more than you would wear in the same room. Our guide to the best sleep environment for babies covers room temperature.
- Add a wearable blanket. NIH Safe to Sleep suggests a wearable blanket or an extra layer of clothing to keep your baby warm without adding items to the sleep area.
- Leave the head uncovered. Keep your baby’s head and face uncovered during sleep, and take hats off indoors.
- Check for overheating. Sweating, a hot chest or flushed skin can mean your baby is too warm. Remove a layer.
- Keep the crib bare. A firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet, and nothing else.
For outfit ideas on cold nights, see how to dress a baby for sleep in winter.
Still swaddling? Safe to Sleep advises to stop when your baby starts rolling over, usually around 3 months. Our guide on when to stop swaddling explains the switch to a sleep sack.
| Situation | What the guidance says |
|---|---|
| 0 to 12 months, crib or bassinet | Fitted sheet only. No blankets, quilts, pillows, bumpers or stuffed toys. |
| 0 to 12 months, chilly room | Wearable blanket or one extra layer of clothing. |
| After 12 months | The AAP’s safe sleep recommendations cover the first year. Ask your pediatrician about adding a blanket. |
What about after the first birthday?
The AAP’s safe sleep recommendations are written for babies up to 1 year of age, and they do not name an exact date for a first blanket after that. If you are thinking about adding one, ask your pediatrician at the 12-month checkup. In the meantime, a wearable blanket in the right size keeps working as your baby grows.
Related: a HALO SleepSack wearable blanket as a blanket alternative.
Related: sleep sack for toddlers: sizes and when to stop.
When to talk to your doctor
- Your baby often feels hot, sweaty or flushed during sleep, even in light layers
- You are unsure how to set up a sleep space for a baby who was born early or has a medical condition
- You want to add a blanket, pillow or comfort object after the first birthday
- Call 911 if your baby has blue or gray lips or skin, has trouble breathing, or is hard to wake
Frequently asked questions
Can my baby sleep with a lovey or stuffed animal?
Not in the first year. The AAP lists pillow-like toys among the soft objects to keep out of the sleep area, and NIH Safe to Sleep names stuffed toys. Keep the lovey for awake, supervised cuddles.
Is a thin, tucked-in blanket OK for a baby under 1?
US guidance says no. NIH Safe to Sleep says to keep bedding other than a fitted sheet out of the sleep area, even if it is lightweight, small or tucked in.
Is a sleep sack the same as a blanket?
No. Your baby wears a sleep sack, so it does not lie loose in the crib. Both the AAP and NIH Safe to Sleep mention a wearable blanket as a way to keep a baby warm. Skip weighted versions.
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Sources
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained
- NIH Safe to Sleep: Ways to Reduce Baby’s Risk
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you’re worried about your baby, call your pediatrician, or 911 in an emergency.