Wondering how many crib sheets you need to add to your baby registry? See how many crib sheets I recommend to make sure you’re prepared for your baby’s sleep!
There are plenty of tasks that come along with preparing for your new baby’s arrival. But just getting through that first trimester can zap all of your energy, leaving very little motivation for baby-prep!
The closer you get to your due date; however, the stronger your urge to start nesting will get. Once you reach the nesting phase, you’ll probably start compiling a list with all the items you need before baby’s arrival.
Building your ideal baby registry will come with all sorts of questions: which registry items are essential, what items should you not put on your registry, what things will make your life easier, and how many do you need of everything?
As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, it’s no surprise that one of my main priorities is to help you create a safe nursery space that is conducive to sleep.
Your newborn is going to spend a lot of their day sleeping. And ideally, those sleeping hours will be spent in a safe and cozy crib of their own.
Let’s talk about an essential part of creating that cozy crib: the crib sheets.
Do I Need Crib Sheets?
A newborn’s innate needs are simple, and that goes for their sleeping arrangements as well.
You’re not just going to plop your baby on a bare mattress and call it good, but it’s also important for their safety not to get too fancy with the bedding.
A good rule of thumb is that a boring crib is a safe crib. The only crib-related baby registry must-haves are a firm mattress, waterproof mattress pad, and a fitted sheet. The rest is unnecessary and can be dangerous.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strictly recommends against the use of blankets, pillows, or other soft items in the crib with your newborn. These items greatly increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
You’ll need to wait until your little one is at least past their first birthday before you consider adding any bedding beyond the fitted crib sheet.
You can find more information about crib safety do’s and don’ts in my post about the ABCs of Safe Sleep.
How Many Fitted Sheets Do I Need for a Crib?
The answer to this question depends largely on how often you plan to change the crib sheet and do laundry.
Let’s be real: your tiny human is about to contribute a lot of dirty clothes to your household. You’ll be shocked by just how many onesies and burp cloths you’ll go through in those first months at home.
With the frequent spit ups and diaper blow outs, you’re likely to do a load of laundry for your newborn every few days at least. That gives you a couple of opportunities each week to toss their crib sheet into the wash.
If you’re creating more of a minimalist baby registry, you’ll want to have at least three fitted crib sheets on hand. This allows for one to be dirty, one to be in use on the crib, and one to be tucked into the linen closet for an emergency backup.
We had three sets of fitted crib sheets and it was plenty. That being said my daughter rarely had blow outs or leaks in her crib.
If you want to be even more prepared, I would recommend putting somewhere between 3-5 fitted crib sheets on your registry. Consider registering for the higher number if you know that doing laundry is a low-priority chore in your home or you’re concerned your baby may have frequent leaks or blowouts.
Another reason to keep more sheets on hand would be if your baby suffers from reflux and frequently spits up.
How Often Do You Change Crib Sheets?
I recommend changing your infant’s crib sheet 1-2 times per week. Of course if they have any sort of accident that soils the sheet, it should be swapped out immediately.
The crib sheet isn’t the only thing that will need changing. It’s important to invest in waterproof mattress protectors as well.
Even if your crib mattress claims to be “waterproof,” it’s best to protect it with a mattress protector, too. It’ll only improve the longevity of the mattress and help late-night cleanups go a bit smoother.
How many waterproof crib pads do you need? I’d say at least two, so you have one as a backup in case things get messy (and they will!).
How Do I Choose the Best Crib Sheets to Buy?
I know it’s super tempting to just go for the cutest crib sheets you can find. There are some seriously adorable options out there!
But crib sheets aren’t just there to decorate the nursery and make everything Insta-ready. Your crib sheets need to be fully functional when it comes to comfort and safety as well.
When you’re picking out crib sheets for your little one, it’s important to pay attention to the fit and fabric material.
For example, Newton crib sheets are breathable and made from organic cotton muslin. Muslin is not only a more temperate fabric, but it’s safer for your baby because it decreases suffocation risk.
By using a more open fabric weave, the Newton crib sheets allow for easier air flow. They’re also super soft to the touch, and fit snugly to the mattress.
A snug-fit crib sheet is important to make sure there’s no loose fabric near your baby’s face while they sleep. If the crib sheet doesn’t fit the mattress correctly, it can come loose and might be a suffocation risk for your sleeping babe.
Favorite Fitted Crib Sheets
The best crib sheet options on the market will fit the standard crib mattress size snugly, are made from comfortable and breathable fabric, and offer cute prints, too!
Here are some of my favorite options to keep your newborn cozy, safe, and sleeping in style:
- Newton crib sheets – I know I’ve already sung their praises, but these sheets are a great option. They sell in two-packs and have some cute gender-neutral print options.
- Aden + Anais crib sheets – Like Newton sheets, these are also made from muslin and are super soft. I love the variety of prints they offer! They make some of my favorite swaddles as well.
- Burts Bees crib sheets – If you’re looking for a good organic cotton fabric option, these are the sheets for you. From zoo animals to fancy florals, they’ve got plenty of options to choose from to complete your sweet nursery aesthetic.
I hope this post helped you figure out how many crib sheets you need and equips you to start getting your baby’s crib ready for sleep!
My goal is to help tired parents get sleep, so the whole family can thrive!
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