Sleep Sacks - Taking Cara Babies

Let’s talk about sleep sacks and wearable blankets for babies. I’ll tell you all about the purpose of sleep sacks, how to choose the best option for your baby or toddler, what sleep sack TOG ratings mean, and when to stop using them.

FINOHOPE supply professional and honest service.

What is the purpose of a sleep sack? What are the benefits of a sleep sack?#anchor

A sleep sack is simply a zip up “bag” that your baby or toddler can wear as an alternative to a blanket.

Why would you want to use a sleep sack or wearable blanket?

1. Promotes safety. Loose bedding in your baby’s crib or bassinet simply isn’t safe. (Check out The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe-sleep recommendations.). I also have a safe sleep checklist that you can download.

2. Provides warmth all night. Many little ones are active sleepers. Even if your child is old enough for blankets (12 months or older), these blankets rarely stay in place during sleep. Using a sleep sack instead ensures that your baby can stay warm all night long.

3. Cues the brain for sleep. Did you know that when you get into your bed at night, the act of pulling your sheet up tells your brain that sleep is coming? The same thing applies to your baby. When you zip up that sleep sack, it sends a message to their little brain “Oh, it’s time to go to sleep.”  

4. Discourages climbing. If you have a little one who is trying to crawl out of the crib, a sleep sack discourages climbing and makes it much harder to swing a leg up over the side of the crib and crawl out.  

Are sleep sacks safe?#anchor

Yes! Sleep sacks are safe for your baby to wear for sleep.

Even if my baby rolls onto their tummy? Yep, sleep sacks are still safe for babies who can roll to their tummies because they have their hands and arms free!

Are weighted sleep sacks safe?#anchor

No, they’re not. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), weighted sleep sacks and weighted swaddles are not safe for sleep and should not be used. 

Can I use a sleep sack for a newborn?#anchor

You can use a sleep sack for a newborn, as long as it fits properly. However, I want you to know that most newborns sleep best with their arms swaddled. Swaddling calms newborns by keeping them snug like they were in the womb. This gives them a feeling of comfort and security. If your newborn hates the swaddle or you’re wondering how to swaddle a newborn, my blogs can help.

When should I start using a sleep sack?#anchor

A great time to start using a wearable blanket is when your baby shows signs of rolling and it’s time to transition from the swaddle. If you have a baby who has already transitioned out of the swaddle but isn’t using a sleep sack yet, that’s okay! You can introduce one now; it’s not too late. 

How do I transition to a sleep sack?#anchor

Here are things to keep in mind when transitioning from a swaddle to a sleep sack:

1. Transition when your baby is ready. Most babies will be ready to transition from a swaddle to a wearable blanket once they show signs of rolling. 

2. Choose the right sleep sack. Find a sleep sack that fits your baby well and has a TOG rating appropriate for your baby’s room temperature. 

3. Swap the swaddle for a sleep sack. If your baby is used to a swaddle or transitional item (like the Swaddle Sleeves), you can switch to the sleep sack instead of these items. I have a step-by-step guide on how to transition out of the swaddle that can help if you want more ideas.

4. Add the sleep sack to your routine. If you’ve never used a sleep sack and want to start using one, you can start by adding it as one of the last steps in your bedtime routine. It can help to use the sleep sack for the first time at bedtime and then start using it for naps the next day. 

When do you stop using a sleep sack?#anchor

I recommend using a sleep sack until it’s time to transition to a toddler bed, which is often around 3 years old. When you're ready, simply trade your toddler's sleep sack for a blanket.

What should my baby wear under a sleep sack?#anchor

What your baby or toddler wears under their sleep sack depends on the temperature of the room, the TOG rating of their sleep sack, and your baby’s comfort. 

Here’s my motto: “Assess, don't obsess.” What does that mean? I want you to assess how your baby looks and feels so that you can make an adjustment if needed. Let me show you some examples:

Your little one may be too hot if their cheeks are flushed and their back or neck is sweaty. Simply switch to a lighter sleep sack or remove a layer of clothing from under the sleep sack. 

Your baby may be too cold if the trunk of their body (chest, back, and belly) feels cool/cold to the touch. Rather than adding a blanket (which isn't safe for little ones under 12 months old), try a sleep sack with a higher TOG rating or add a layer of clothing under the sleep sack.

Want to see a few examples of this? I’ll show you here in this video. 

Does my baby need a sleep sack in the summer?#anchor

If your baby uses a wearable blanket, you can continue to use one during the summer. You may need to choose a different sleep sack or adjust what your baby wears underneath the sleep sack based on the temperature of your baby’s room.

For example, if your baby typically uses a 1.0 TOG sleep sack, you might change their clothes to be just a onesie or a diaper in the summer, or you might switch to a .5 TOG sleep sack. 

How many sleep sacks do I need?#anchor

I usually recommend having at least 2-3 sleep sacks on hand. If one gets dirty, you have a backup. If your home has different temperatures during different seasons, it’s also nice to have a few different fabrics or TOG ratings. 

What is the best sleep sack for my baby or toddler? #anchor

Finding the best sleep sack for your baby or toddler often depends on what you’re looking for in a sleep sack. There are so many options on the market. Let me share some of my favorites with you:

Best lightweight sleep sack for summer or warmer climates#anchor

Look for a .5-.8 TOG sleep sack with a breathable material. Kyte, Halo, Lou Lou Lollipop, and PurComfy all have great options for these lightweight sleep sacks. 

Best sleep sack for winter or colder climates#anchor

Consider a 2.5 TOG sleep sack. Kyte, Lou Lou Lollipop, Mosebears, Purcomfy, and Woolino are great choices. Gunamuna even has an option with long sleeves.

Best sleep sack for toddlers#anchor

Lou Lou Lollipop and Gunamuna have sleep sacks in sizing up to 36 months that are perfect for toddlers or really tall babies!

Best sleep sack for walkers #anchor

Gunamuna, Halo, Kyte, and Nyte Nyte Baby all have sleep sacks that allow your toddler’s feet to be free. 

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Swaddle Sleeping Bags For Babies.

Best transition sleep sack#anchor

Swaddle Sleeves (Use code Cara10) is a fantastic transitional product that can help with the transition out of the swaddle. Some parents also love Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit (Use code CARA15).

Best sleep sack for newborns#anchor

Truly, most newborns will do best with a swaddle. If your newborn can no longer be safely swaddled, then the best sleep sack for them will be based on their size to ensure proper fit. 

When to Use a Sleep Sack

The exact age when to use a sleep sack is going to vary from baby to baby. The reason is because some babies begin rolling sooner than others.

For your baby’s safety, you will want begin switching from swaddle to sleep sack as soon as they first show signs of rolling. You’ll always want to be putting your baby into their crib or bassinet on their back if they’re under a year of age.

Once a baby begins to roll, they’re going to go from their back to their belly. An unweighted, cotton sleep sack won’t prevent your baby from rolling onto their tummy. And if they don’t have their hands and arms free to be able to help move themselves, they could be at a higher risk of SIDS. That’s why it’s very important that when your baby is starting to roll, you need to begin switching from swaddle to sleep sack.

If your baby hasn’t began showing signs of rolling by 3 months of age, go ahead and begin that transition anyway. Usually between 10 – 12 weeks is going to be the ideal age when to use a sleep sack.

Switching from Swaddle to Sleep Sack

When it’s time to make the big transition, don’t be nervous. Yes, your baby has been used to being tightly swaddled while sleeping over the last few months. But they’re going to learn how to sleep just as well without the swaddle. Switching from swaddle to sleep sack is easy if you do it gradually. So how do you go from switching from swaddle to sleep sack?

I recommend doing the transition from swaddle to sleep sack over the period of 6 days and nights. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: On nights 1 – 3 keep just one arm in the swaddle. The other arm will be out of the swaddle.

Step 2: On nights 4 – 6, have both arms out of the swaddle, but keep your baby’s legs swaddled.

Step 3: Then on nights 7 going forward, fully switch from swaddle to sleep sack. Your baby will be sleeping in their sleep sack going forward.

Benefits of a Sleep Sack to Prevent Crib Climbing

One of the other huge benefits of a sleep sack for older babies and toddlers, is that it can help to prevent climbing out of crib.

Of course you want to be keeping your baby as safe as possible. The thought of them potentially trying to climb out of the crib at night and fall is very alarming to parents.

A lot of families I work with reach out to me because they toddler began climbing out of the crib so they had to move to a floor bed for peace of mind. But for children under 22 months of age, a floor or big bed likely isn’t going to work. Because children under 22 months of age aren’t cognitively ready to learn how to STAY in that bed all night long. And then parents run into the problem with their toddler coming into their bed in the middle of the night.  

Why Do Sleep Sacks Work

The sleep sack is going to help to keep your baby warm. There’s 2 reasons why sleep sacks work to keep your baby warm.

First, going back to safety, if your baby is under a year, you don’t want to have any loose objects in your baby’s crib. So that means no blankets. The AAP’s Safe Sleep Guidelines don’t recommend anything in your baby’s crib other than the fitted sheet on the mattress for babies under a year of age.

Second, even if you were to add a blanket for older babies, it probably won’t stay on them all night. Babies are super active sleepers. They just move around a lot when they sleep. I remember watching my daughter do 360’s all night long when she was a little over a year old. And that’s really normal for babies and toddlers to move a lot when they sleep.

If your baby is moving all around the crib throughout the night, it’s very unlikely the blanket will stay on them to keep them warm. Whereas the benefits of a sleep sack is that it’s going to stay on your baby all night. That will help them regulate their body temperature better, which will lead to a nice and comfortable sleep.

What Sleep Sack to Use

I like a basic arms free, cotton sleep sack. My favorite sleep sack for babies is the Snuggy Buddy. The benefits of a sleep sack with Snuggy Buddy is that they have a small lovey attached to the chest. A lot of babies find that holding on to a little stuffed animal or lovey can be very soothing. And this sleep sack allows babies to still have access to a lovey, without having it loose in the crib.

My favorite sleep sack for older babies and toddlers is June and the Moon. The benefits of a sleep sack for toddlers with June and the Moon is that it’s a backwards zipping sleep sack. And by that I mean the zipper is on the back, rather than on the chest. Some toddlers are quite smart and they know how to unzip their sleep sack.

With the backwards zipping sleep sack, your toddler won’t be able to work their way out of it.

I’ve worked with a handful of families whose toddlers would take off their clothes and diaper at bedtime to protest. You can imagine how challenging that is to get a toddler to sleep when they’re completely naked and refusing to put on their clothes.

I even worked with a couple of families whose toddler would poop at bedtime, reaching into their diaper and throw the poop all over the room. I can’t even imagine what a mess those poor parents had to deal with.

So you can see how the backwards zipping sleep sack can be really beneficial with toddlers. 

When to Stop Using Sleep Sack

As a Pediatric Sleep Coach, I recommend keeping children in sleep sack until you transition them to a big bed, or until they outgrow it.

A lot of companies are beginning to make larger sleep sacks for toddlers. So once your toddler outgrows the sleep sacks you’ve used with them as a baby, you can buy them a larger toddler sleep sack.

But if your toddler begins voicing their opinion about it, you certainly don’t have to keep them in a sleep sack. Some do want a little more independence after the age of two. And if they’re not trying to climb out of their crib, you don’t have to force them to wear once. Some battles just aren’t worth fighting.

Will a Sleep Sack Help My Baby Sleep Better?

If your child isn’t sleeping well, the sleep sack isn’t likely going to be the magic solution to get them sleeping through the night. There’s usually more behavioral changes that need to be worked on, like breaking the nightly bottle habit or rocking to sleep.

So if your baby does have a sleep association, breaking that habit and teaching them how to fall asleep independently is likely going to be the solution for getting your baby to sleep like a champ. And if you’re looking for help in that area, I’m happy to help.

I work with families to teach their child how to fall asleep happily at bedtime, sleep through the night, and take awesome naps during the day. I use gentle sleep training methods so that you don’t have to leave your baby alone to cry it out. Schedule a free Sleep Evaluation with me today so that I can get a better understanding of your baby’s sleep issues & we’ll see if my program is the right fit for your family.