Is 16C OK for a baby's room?
Short answer: Yes. 16C is within the 16C to 20C range the NHS and the Lullaby Trust recommend for a sleeping baby. Dress your baby for the room and check their chest or neck.
A room thermometer is the easiest way to check.
What the guidance says
- Keep the room between about 16C and 20C and check it with a room thermometer.
- Check your baby's temperature by feeling their chest or the back of their neck. Cool hands and feet are normal.
- Never use a hot water bottle or electric blanket, and do not place the cot next to a radiator, heater or fire, or in direct sunlight.
- The Lullaby Trust does not publish a tog chart, because fabrics, layers and babies differ. Use the room temperature as a guide and check your baby's chest or neck.
Shop at Baby Kingdom
- 2.5 Tog Baby Sleep Bag 6-18 Months
- Large Muslin Squares Swaddles 3pk
- 2.5 Tog Baby Sleep Bag 6-18 Months
- Sleeping Bag, New Born to Six Months - Berry Stripe
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
Can a baby sleeping bag be too big?Can a 1 year old sleep in a sleeping bag?Guide to baby bedding: what to look forWhen should I buy a cot sheet?Safe swaddling: what UK guidance saysSleeping bag or blankets: which suits your baby?All baby bedding and sleeping bags advice →
Sources
- NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (accessed 2026-10-21)
- The Lullaby Trust: Baby mattresses and bedding (accessed 2026-10-21)
General information only, not medical advice. Always follow your product's instructions. If you are worried about your baby, contact your GP, health visitor or 111. In an emergency, call 999.