Sleep sack

A sleep sack is an alternative to using blankets when putting your little baby to sleep. These little baby sleeping bags are especially designed to keep your young ones comfortable at night. Other than being a far better alternative to blankets, these baby sleeping bags are preventive measures against SIDS, which is basically short for sudden infant death syndrome.

Protection from SIDS

Many organizations concerned about the threat of SIDS including the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend that quilts, pillows, comforters, stuffed toys, and blankets, be removed when putting your baby to bed. The other guidelines that are part of their recommendations include keeping your baby’s head uncovered while sleeping, using fitted tight sheets, and placing your baby’s back on a firm mattress.

Since many soft products, such as pillows, blankets, and comforters may possibly inhibit your child’s breathing or cause SIDS in some other way, sleep sacks become a logical and practical alternative. Not only do these baby-sized sleeping bags keep your baby’s head free from obstruction, they also keep your child warm and safe throughout the night.

How to Use a Sleep Sack

Sleep sacks are put on after your baby’s pajamas are on. It fits like other clothing only that there aren’t holes for your kid’s legs. The head and arms remain uncovered and the sleeping bag is zipped. Once the sack is zipped onto your little baby’s body, it will never slip off.

The bottom of the bag is wide enough to allow a wide range of movement. One reminder though is that you should match your child’s pajamas with the room’s temperature and according to the season in your state or country. The general idea is to keep the child asleep in the bag with the back laying on a tight fitting mattress.

Design Inquiries

People have asked probing questions ever since sleeping sacks were introduced first in Europe about a couple of decades ago. One of the concerns that mothers and others concerned is whether a child might slip or sink into the sack at night. Sleeping sacks are designed in such a way that the arms and neck are well fitted. By design and according to experience, it is impossible for your baby to slip into the sack at night.

Others ask why sleep sacks have no sleeves. The reason is simple – you don’t want to risk overheating your child’s sleeping environment. With sleeves cut short, heat will be allowed to circulate thus ensuring ventilation.

An interesting design question is why the zipper on sleep sacks is sewn upside down. Well, this is so designed to make removing or opening the sack quite easily. In case your child wants to get out of the sack, all your baby needs to do is to sit upright. The zipper will naturally slide itself open as your baby sits up. Other than that, it keeps your little one’s hands from playing with the pull and accidentally opening the zipper at night.

Another fairly common question is about the material the sleeping sacks are made of. That basically depends on the manufacturer but you’ll usually find that they are made of 100% cotton. However, in case you can’t find something made of cotton then you can opt for a sleeping sack made of fleece as an alternative. Some manufacturers make the filling out of flame retardant polyester. The filling keeps the entire sleeping sack from twisting around.

Checking Baby’s Temperature

Those who are new to using sleeping sacks also ask how to figure out if the baby is feeling too hot or too cold with the sack on. Your baby’s hands will usually feel cold due to their immature blood circulation. You should instead check the baby’s back or stomach to see if it’s sweaty or a bit flushed. If you have to adjust the temperature in the room, keep it between 64 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Making One of Your Own

In case you want to use your own creativity you can make your own sleeping bag for your baby. Remember to choose comfortable material and get everything you need ready before working on the project. Making one of your own will require some effort and time. Be sure to follow design instructions in case it’s your first time to sew one.