Our Guide to Sleep Sacks
Sleep Sacks
Sleep sacks, sleep bags, wearable blankets - what’s the deal? What are they and what are the benefits?
This post will answer all of your questions about sleep sacks:
The benefits
Whether or not you should be using one for your child
Our recommendations
…and more!
What is a sleep sack?
Sleep sacks are basically little zip-up bags or sacks that your baby or toddler wears. You may hear them called sleep bags or wearable blankets as well. Unlike swaddles, they allow your child’s arms to move freely. Sleep sacks are not appropriate for newborns and should be used after your baby has transitioned out of their swaddle.
What are the benefits of sleep sacks?
They reduce the risk of SIDS
Sleep sacks are a safe alternative to blankets. The AAP advises parents to keep their baby’s crib free of any loose blankets, quilts, or pillows because of the risk of suffocation. The only thing that should be in your baby’s crib (12 months and younger) is a tight fitting fitted crib sheet.
We love swaddling newborns up until they start to show signs of rolling. Once they begin to roll, swaddles are no longer safe. Sleep sacks allow your baby to move freely and to use their arms, which is a must once they begin to roll.
Safely regulate your baby’s temperature: (comfortable temperature)
Using a sleep sack during sleep can help keep your baby’s temperature constant without the need of a blanket and it can help prevent them from becoming overheated or getting too cold.
Sleep sacks usually come with a TOG rating, which is basically just a way to rate the warmth of a product. This makes it easy to keep your baby comfortable during the changing seasons.
0.5 TOG rating = a light sheet
1.0 TOG rating = a blanket or quilt
2.5 TOG rating = a heavy blanket
Remember, you want to choose your baby’s sleep sack based off of the temperature in your baby’s nursery - not the temperature outside. A TOG of 1.0 is always a safe choice to go with because you can add or remove clothing layers underneath.
Tip: purchase an indoor thermometer for the nursery to help you keep their room between 69-72 degrees fahrenheit. As a pediatric nurse I have to make sure I mention to be cautious of the small coin sized batteries often used in thermometers as they pose a huge safety risk. Always keep thermometers out of reach of children.
Sleep Cue:
Utilizing a sleep sack as part of your child’s sleep routine can actually signal to their brain that it’s time for sleep.
The magic of a bedtime routine is that each step becomes a cue to your baby that gets them ready for sleep. The nice thing about a sleep sack is that you can put it on right over your baby’s clothes, so there’s no need to change them into their jammies for every nap time. Having a sleep routine with a few simple, consistent steps is one piece of the puzzle for great sleep.
See our post below for a simple bedtime routine you can start from day one!
They help prevent toddlers from trying to climb out of their cribs
One of my children became an absolute master at climbing out of her crib at a really early age. Way too early to move her to a standard bed (we don’t recommend transitioning to a big kid bed until as close to three as possible). Little kids aren’t developmentally ready for that kind of freedom yet and they thrive with the security the crib provides.
Sleep sacks can work wonders for keeping your toddler in their crib longer because the sleep sack prevents them from being able to hoist their legs up over the railing.
You may find you have a very determined, problem solving child like I do, in which case you may try turning their sleep sack inside out and backwards to prevent them from unzipping themselves.
We love Kyte baby sleep sacks, but if you have a climber, we recommend sizing down if you can (my 2.5 year old actually fits in the 6-18 month sleep bag and can’t climb out the neck. The 18-36 months size was just a little too stretchy and she could climb right out the top). Muslin sleep sacks also work well because the neck holes aren’t stretchy ;)
Which sleep sacks are best?
At the Goodnight House, we aren’t very picky about the brand of sleep sack. We have a few recommendations of one’s we’ve personally used that we’ll link below.
The main recommendation we have is that you don’t need anything fancy. We would actually recommend staying away from any that are weighted, like the Nested Bean, (unless specifically recommended by your child’s pediatrician or physical therapist).
Our favorites:
Kyte Baby Sleep Sacks (these come in TOG ratings of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5).
When and how should you introduce a sleep sack?
Sleep sacks should be used after your baby transitions out of their swaddle.
Read THIS post to learn how to transition your baby out of the swaddle.
We love Embe swaddles for newborns but we especially love them because they can be used to transition arms-in swaddling to arms-out. We also like the fact that the Embe swaddles still have the part that wraps around their chest as a last little comfort before going straight to a looser sleep sack). Once your baby physically grows out of their transition swaddle is a great time to switch to the sleep sack. If you don’t use a transition swaddle like the Embe swaddle, you can start using a sleep sack whenever you ditch the traditional arms-in swaddle.
Use code GOODNIGHT for 15% off Embe swaddles and transition swaddles.
We’ve never used a sleep sack and we have an older baby or toddler, should we start using one now?
If you have a great sleeper, a bedtime routine that is working for your family, and you don’t need a sleep sack for any of the safety benefits listed above (SIDS prevention in babies under one years old, temperature regulation, preventing your little one from climbing out of their crib etc), there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.
How to introduce a sleep sack to an older toddler?
If you do decide to introduce a sleep sack to an older toddler, our best piece of advice is to make it fun! Tell them how special they look in their sleep sack (we told our 2 year old she looked just like a princess and like her friend who also wears a sleep sack and she was sold). Let them help you choose the color of their sleep sack. Talk to them about it before you ever introduce it, etc.
Click HERE to get your child’s perfect daily schedule!
Conclusion
Sleep sacks have several safety benefits and they can also be used as a tool to encourage and foster better sleep for your little one. Sleep sacks can help prevent SIDS, help regulate your little one’s temperature, and they can also help deter your toddler from climbing out of their crib. Using a sleep sack during your child’s bedtime routine will also become a cue to them that it’s time for sleep.
Using a sleep sack or implementing a sleep routine is only a piece of the puzzle. It’s not a magic trick to getting your child to sleep, but it can be used as a really helpful tool. If your child struggles with sleep, please know there is help. Our mission at the Goodnight House is to equip parents with the tools necessary to help their babies get the sleep they need and experience more rest, peace, and joy in parenting.
If you’re expecting or you have a newborn (0-12 weeks old), our online Newborn Class is the perfect way to introduce healthy sleep habits and help them get better sleep from day one.
If you have an older baby or toddler, we offer 1:1 Personalized Sleep Plans to help get your child (4+ months) sleeping 10-12 hours per night.