Do You Need Crib Bassinet Sheets?
Read on to pick the best bed sheets for your baby’s crib or bassinet
How Many Crib Bassinet Sheets Do I Need – More Than Less Is Better
Have you already fixed your crib or bassinet and now wondering how many sheets do you need for your crib or bassinet?
The settings of the bedroom should provide comfort and relaxation to your baby. You have to take extra care while setting the crib/bassinet beddings. The comfier your baby feels in the bed the more pleasant their experiences will be while sleeping.
However, you have already overcome the first obstacle which is to choose good bedding. Your next task at hand is to know how many sheets you need to have in the nursery. It is important to understand some basic things like why the sheets are so important before you actually buy one.
This is why I will provide you with some tips about bed sheets for your bassinet or crib that helped me in my parenting journey. I will keep the points very neat and explain why having more sheets are a necessity so that you can decide which sheet will be perfect for your baby.
How Many Crib Sheets Are Necessary To Have
The number of sheets you need depends on the number of times you are going to change your baby’s bedding in a day. For example, if you are changing them once a day then you will need at least 4 to 5 crib sheets for a week.
I had to change the linen of the bed every 3rd day so I needed 4 crib sheets but I still bought 5 to stay prepared for any circumstances.
If you don’t have any problem with washing the crib/bassinet crib sheets often then you can follow my routine but If you don’t have the time or don’t like to wash them often you can buy 2 to 3 sheets. That will be enough if you are changing the bedding twice a week.
But, if you have decided to change the crib sheets every day then you must purchase 5 to 7 of them. However, with this tactic as well you can save time and not wash them often because you have spare sheets readily available. You can wash the crib sheets twice a week.
According to the sleep experts, even for adults, you must wash your crib sheets at least once a week because you have no idea what piles on your bed when you don’t wash them. There are thin layers of dust, dead skin cells, pollen, mites not to mention sweat, and pet hairs if you have pets. For adults, you should keep 3 crib sheets always available at hand and wash the sheets preferably more than once a week.
Your baby has skin that is not yet accustomed to the outside world of ours so you need to be more careful about what comes in contact with their skins. Just like adults, babies’ crib sheets also need to be washed often.
They may be so tiny and adorable in size but that does not mean you can buy fewer items to accommodate them. It’s actually the opposite as babies tend to make a mess often so be prepared for unexpected occurrences and keep those spare sheets ready. Yes! I know babies are so expensive right! But they are worth it.
Why So Many Bedsheets And Are They Really Necessary?
I know exactly what you are thinking – is buying so many bedsheets really necessary? Even though purchasing 5 to 7 sheets sounds like a lot, my advice would be to always have more necessary items than less.
If you have only two sheets then after a couple of washes they will start to wear down. But, if you alternate the bed sheets and wash them less then they will be of service for a longer time.
For example, suppose you have 7 sheets available to you then you can keep alternating between them and don’t have to wash for 5 consecutive days. After that, you can wash 5 of the sheets that you regularly changed while still having 2 spare sheets at hand. You can keep repeating this cycle and you will notice that you are washing the sheets only once a week saving your energy and time.
The age of your baby is also of concern in this matter. The number of blow-outs is significantly higher in younger kids than in toddlers because toddlers are already in the middle or end of their potty training process. These are also aspects that affect the number of times you will be changing your baby’s bedsheet.
There might be a leakage issue at night if your baby is a heavy wetter. Just as adorable as they are, babies are also quite messy which is not their fault as their brain is still in its developing and learning process. Since there is a high chance of your baby peeing or pooping while laying down at night or even at daytime it is better to have more crib sheets for emergency situations.
How Many Bassinet Sheets Do I Need?
Bassinets are mostly used by parents for their newborn babies as well as smaller babies. So, you might think that 1 sheet will be enough to get you through or maybe even 2. Newborns are the messiest ones and have zero bladder control. Also, newborns sweat so much that you will be surprised.
The primary reason behind this is during their first couple of months, most of the time, they are lying on the back. For bassinet sheets, forget the 2 to 3 system, purchase at least 5 sheets because you will need them all. During the first years of your child, you should be very careful about their hygiene.
However, if you are tight on budget then I will suggest you not buy many bassinet sheets. Typically parents switch from bassinets to cribs when their baby becomes 6 months old so you can save money by not purchasing a lot of sheets and keeping the amount fixed to 2 bassinet sheets.
Why Do I Need Crib Or Bassinet Sheets?
You might question the necessity of bassinet or crib sheets. You might think that since your mattress has a soft lining of fabric and your baby is wrapped in a swaddle blanket why should you go out of your way to spend all that money for sheets?
Mattress Protection
If you think sheets do not have any benefits other than just keeping the sleeping area clean for your baby then you are wrong. The sheets help protect the mattress of the crib or bassinet. If you use the sheets over the mattress, it will preserve the quality of your mattress for a long time.
You can buy the waterproof sheets for the crib/bassinet and you can see the waterproof lining at the bottom of the sheet. There are various options you can look into however if you want suggestions I would advise you to go for Ely’s and Co waterproof bassinet sheet. They are a very good option for your baby’s bassinet.
Less Sweating
The fabric and material used in making the crib sheets or bassinet sheets for your little one are typically more breathable than regular sheets. The breathability of the sheet helps keep the temperature around your baby cool so your baby will sweat less.
I had to look through quite a handful of sheets to find a good one that has the breathability I was looking for. Poly Baby Fitted Crib Sheets – for standard crib mattress is one such sheet that I recommend because of its ultra-soft blend of cotton.
Safer Fit
Typically when you purchase sheets for your baby’s bassinet or crib you will notice that they come in fitted style. When you open the package you will see an elastic / strap bottom that helps you to fit the sheet over the mattress.
It helps keep the bedsheet spread evenly and tightly on the mattress so when your baby moves in his/her bed it does not get bundled up in any place. It is also safer for your baby if you have sheets in a fitted style.
If you ask me, go for the American baby Company Cotton Value Jerkey Knitted Standard Crib Sheet. They come with well-fitting features and are a good option for the standard cribs.
Consider These Things when you are out shopping for bassinet sheets—
In any scenario, it is best to be equipped with knowledge and material to provide safety for your kid. So, I am listing below some important features of a crib or bassinet sheet which helps keep your baby safe. It will also help you in deciding which kinds of bedsheets you should purchase.
While looking for a good bedsheet you can not only consider the comfortability of them as there are other features that need to be taken into consideration for the safety of your baby. Such features include whether the sheets accommodate sensitive skin, durability, for obvious reasons breathability, etc.
Breathability
As I discussed earlier, most of the time, newborn babies are laid on their back, and since their movement is restricted they get hot easily. If they are not held by the parents they don’t get much movement on their own and this is why babies sweat a lot.
You need to choose a material that is breathable so that the air can flow through the fabric easily keeping your baby cool. Other than this, breathable material also helps prevent friction which is a cause of becoming red.
You can stay stress-free knowing that your baby’s skin is not getting overheated even on the hot days of the summer season.
Fit
You have to buy a crib sheet that fits snugly and perfectly with the standard crib. This is a significant step for your baby’s safety is depended on it. The mattress you have for your baby and the sheet you are going to buy should fit together perfectly like a puzzle.
Make sure that the inside of the crib and the sheet are fitted securely and do not bundle when your baby moves. Babies can not move on their own so if the sheet gets bundled up and somehow ends on their faces, it could be very dangerous. This is why you also have to make sure that your baby can not grab the fabric in any way.
You can not keep things that can pose a hazard to your babies near them such as extra blankets, any kind of stuffed animal, no pillows, and absolutely no bumper pads.
Sensitive Skin
Typically, since your baby is new to the world their skin is still adapting to its surrounding environment so naturally, their skin is very sensitive as well as delicate. So, you need sheets that will accommodate the factor that your baby has sensitive skin meaning a sheet free of any harsh chemicals, materials that are safe for babies, etc.
Some babies have more sensitive skin than others so if your little one has hypersensitive skin you have to keep changing the sheets frequently. You also need to use a safe detergent that is unscented without harsh chemicals and absolutely no dryer sheets.
If you do not follow the above tip, your baby might end up with eczema, some kind of bad rash, or mild to severe irritation for the damp sheets.
Allergens
Do you know that the skin of your baby is so sensitive that there is no way they can protect themselves from allergies?
Most baby products are thus hypoallergenic and parents are also becoming aware of these and trying to purchase products that are labeled as hypoallergenic. This is very important because if the material of the sheets is not hypoallergenic then even something minor can cause an allergic reaction in your child.
But the troublesome part is that you can’t find every product to be hypoallergenic because humans have different things that they are allergic to so it is impossible to find a material that avoids all of them.
All you can do is be more careful about the safety of your baby and try to find the best option available to you.
Pick The Best One
Here I am listing a couple of things that are taken from my personal experience and if you follow the guidelines, this will help you find the best bedsheet for your little one.
The Type of Material - Comfort
When you are out to buy crib sheets or browsing through the internet for them, you are focusing on the comfort and breathability of the material but you are forgetting about one thing — what type of material is the sheet?
The best one I could find is cotton fabric because they are extremely breathable while being very comfortable for my baby. It kept her cool during the mild hot days and her sweating also decreased a lot because the cotton fabric had hypoallergenic properties.
You should avoid sheets made of polyester because it preserves the heat and decreases air circulation which makes the sheets wrinkle easily.
Absorbency
If you are looking for material that will absorb the moisture well then go for cotton bed sheets. The absorbency of cotton fabrics is just amazing and they are also perfect for absorbing the sweats of your baby keeping them dry.
Size
Size is another important thing to keep in mind while browsing for bedsheets. If you are going for the standard size then go for a 52 x 28 inches bedsheet. If you need mini-sized bedsheets then 38 inches x 28 inches would be a good fit.
Since your baby has small legs and hands also his/her body is so tiny that their cribs/bassinets are also very small. Hence, the bedsheets come in small sizes.
Safety
You need to make a better seal that will stay between your baby and the crib mattress or bassinet mattress which is why you should consider fitted sheets as they are safer.
Waterproof
The baby mattress also needs protection so that they stay intact for a long time. Parents usually prefer waterproof crib sheets so unwanted accidents in the nursery do not affect the mattress.
There are a couple of good options for waterproof bed sheets in the market but you can look for the ones that come with an extra lining at the bottom so that you get extra protection. You will also be saving money as you don’t have to buy any extra items to individually protect the mattress.
How Often Will I Change The Baby’s Crib Sheets?
It depends on a few aspects such as how often your baby wets his/her diapers and the type of fabric the baby’s bedsheets are. Some babies wet themselves frequently so parents have to be on alert and change 13 to 15 diapers per day. It will be easier for you to use cloth linens.
However, if you are buying bassinet sheets then you must wash them no less than once a week to make sure that the sheet is thoroughly cleaned and maintain good hygiene for the safety of your baby.
Babies Get Sick
Even if you take all the measures and do everything right, your baby will get sick sometimes. It is hard to watch your little one suffering from cough and cold while they keep sneezing. This causes germs to spread around your baby’s living space.
When your baby gets sick, the sheets need to be changed frequently sp that germs don’t linger around your baby. Your baby needs fresh, bacteria-free fresh sheets.
Even when your baby becomes a brother or sister, you can fill up the nursery cabinets with fresh sheets and change the crib sheets for a fresh one because the environment will stay cleaner this way.
You should maintain your own hygiene as well — clean your hands thoroughly with sanitizer or soap before you touch your baby. If you get sick somehow, minimize the contact between you and your little one as much as possible.
Do You Really Need Bassinet Sheets?
Since the baby’s head is fragile, it can get stuck to the bedsheets and result in injury so I advise you to buy bassinet sheets for extra safety. It is not uncommon to find respiratory illness in babies since they are more prone to it than adults because of their still-developing immune system.
Regular sheets, swaddles, blankets, and a few other things that are made of the fabric have particle build-up, or even lint so it is better to have bassinet sheets.
When Should I Stop Using A Bassinet?
If your newborn has grown up a little and now does not prod when he throws his hands or legs you can stop using the bassinet.
Your baby’s height in the bassinet will be approximately 78 cm or 28 inches while their height grows to 34 inches or 86 cm. There is also the difference in weight since bassinet only accommodates your baby you will not have much space to do many activities with them. This may affect the space in which you sleep.
The exact time to stop using the bassinet for your baby depends on their size but typically, it happens when your baby is between 6 months to 12 months old.
What Size Crib Sheets Do I Need?
Standard Crib Mattress
The standard crib mattresses come in the size of 52 in x 28 in and for these mattresses you need to buy standard crib sheets as these will fit snugly and tightly around them as well as most toddler mattresses.
Mini Crib Mattress
The sizes of mini crib mattresses vary and so do the sizes of the mini crib sheets. Before purchasing mini sheets/mattresses ensure that the provided dimensions are what you need.
Now, to give you a general idea, a standard mini crib is 24in x 38in. You can not use a standard crib sheet for these types of mini sheets because the sizes won’t match and you will be left with excess fabric that can be a safety hazard as it will come loose.
Pack n Play Mattress
If you want a mattress that is thinner than toddler/standard crib mattresses then go for the pack n play mattress. You have to keep in mind the thin size of these mattresses when you are out shopping for bedsheets.
I would recommend getting fitted sheets that come with extra padding which adds to the comfiness. You have to check the dimensions of the pack n play mattress because the sheet you are going to buy has to fit the mattress.
The Bottom Line
I think now, you have gotten the idea of how to choose a sheet and how many sheets you need to buy for your baby. As I discussed earlier the sheets are important and you should buy them for the safety of your little one.
It is recommended that you change the sheets at least twice a week. The minimum amount of bed sheets you need to have depends on the number of times you are changing the bedding but a standard number will be 3 to 4 sheets a week.
If you are changing the sheets every day which is very hygienic and preferable, you will need 5 to 7 sheets a week.
Let me know if you have any doubts about the sheets in the comment section and I will try and give you helpful tips to ease your life as a parent.
FAQ: By Moms & Dads
Do I Need A Mattress Protector?
The crib’s mattress pad is more important than your baby’s crib itself. The mattress of the crib is usually firm enough for your little one to get a good night’s sleep.
When a baby’s diapers leak, the mess soaks the clothes and well as the sheets. The mess can also go through the sheets and onto the mattress. A mattress protector will help prevent those leaks to reach the mattress.
A mattress protector typically lays between the mattress and the crib sheet. They are waterproof so any leaks that go through the sheets will not reach the mattress.
Now, you can understand the necessity of a mattress protector. I would definitely advise you to get one for your baby’s crib. These protectors are machine washable so you can wash them along with the sheets and then reuse them.
Are Crib Sheets Safe?
Yes, typically crib sheets are safe however make sure the fit is tight between the sheet and the mattress. You can choose a sheet depending on various factors – softness, designs, materials, patterns, and the most important factor, cost. You can buy them from online, departmental stores and other stores.
Are Toddler Sheets The Same As Crib Sheets?
There are some aspects that make us think that yes, there are a lot of similarities between toddler sheets and crib sheets. If you have a fitted toddler sheet then that is the same as the fitted crib sheet.
There is one major difference which is the pillowcase and the thicker comforter that comes with the toddler bedding sets. Babies will not need these extra items in their standard crib. However, you can hold on to them for later when your infant grows to be an adorable toddler.
Where Can I Find The Best Crib Sheets?
Trusted sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Target as well as Brooklinen are good options for purchasing good quality crib sheets online. I would urge you to explore Burt’s Bees, Babyletto, and Aden+Anais as they provide equally good crib sheets.
In the end, all comes down to the safety of your little one so make sure to choose the safest option out there, and the other concerns are secondary.
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