What You Need to Know to Get the Best Sheets for Your Baby

It is no secret that babies sleep a lot. It has been estimated that a newborn will sleep anywhere from 10.5 to 18 hours a day. This is one of the reasons parents want to get the best bedding for their baby. Luckily, the Spruce has compiled tips and tricks to getting the right bedding. They look at waterproof fitted sheets, newborn sheets, waterproof crib sheets, and other options.

The first thing most parents think about are the different patterns, styles, and colors. The number of choices parents have today mimic what they can pick for their own bedding needs. They are just about endless. You can get trendy, basic, classic, or budget bedding for your baby. If you want it, you can find it.

The next thing parents need to think about is whether they want a set or separates. Sets typically come with a crib bumper pad, crib sheets, waterproof fitted sheet, and a comforter. Some sets go further than that and also have other accouterments, such as a mobile, crib skirt, and even a diaper stacker. The thing about the sets is that babies really do not need comforters and not everyone agrees that the crib bumpers make the baby safer. There is some evidence to show they have the opposite effect.

The main thing parents need to know is the sheets their baby will sleep on should be super soft and machine washable. You can put waterproof fitted sheets under the main sheet but a baby’s skin is very sensitive so you need to get something that is very soft and will not irritate their skin. It is very important, too, that the sheets you pick can be thrown in your washing machine. Babies are too messy to want to spend time handwashing their sheets!

Next up is the fit. The federal government has set standards for the size of mattresses in cribs. That means you should be able to get sheets that fit perfectly. Both the waterproof fitted sheet and the sheet you put above it need to be snug on the mattress. While they all should fit, you really need to double check your sheets with the crib mattress so that you know you have the right one when you bring your baby home. The snugness factor is important because it is a matter of safety for your baby.

Some people think they can get away with using a larger sheet that they fold under the mattress. That is not a good idea as there is really no way you can get it to be as snug around the mattress as a sheet that has been made to fit the mattress can get.

There are cribs out there that have their own size. If you have a mini crib, a round crib, or any other shape that is not the standard, you will need to get specially made sheets for the crib. You can probably get those from the manufacturer of the crib.

When you are buying bedding for your baby, you should really stock up. It is impossible to overstate how messy a baby can be. You may be surprised by how many sheets you can go through in a night. This is also why it is a good idea to have a waterproof fitted sheet under the main sheet. That will save you from having to buy a new mattress in addition to replacing the sheets when they get messy.

There are other kinds of bedding products that you may need. Not all babies respond the same way to the same fabric. Moreover, your baby will not spend all of their sleeping time in their bed. They will also spend time in cradles, bassinets, and play yards. You can get sheets that fit all of these in addition to the sheets you get for their crib.

Another thing you may want to consider is how your baby sleeps. Some babies sleep in one part of the crib so you may have to rethink the fabric or the kind of sheet you get for their crib. Some of this will be trial and error.

andnbsp;