The Top 5 Reasons To Use A Sleep Sack

Dec 15

If you’ve followed me on social media for any period of time, you’ll know that I am a LOVER of sleep sacks. I love the different fabric options, the different TOG ratings, the different sizes, and most importantly, the fact that they keep babies in their crib longer!

I even started selling sleep sacks because I wanted to make them readily available for families in our Northern City in Alberta - that is 5 hours away from the closest city.

Here are my top 5 reasons to use a sleep sack:

They are safe-sleep approved.
The American and Canadian Academy of Paediatrics have guidelines for parents to follow in accordance with safe-sleep protocols. One of the recommendations is that your child doesn’t sleep with a blanket or a lovey in the crib with them until they are over 12 months old. They recommend the use of a pillow no sooner than 18 months, and they also recommend no bumper pads, cute mobiles, or anything in the crib with your baby at ALL until 12 months old.
They do however, recommend the use of a swaddle or a sleep sack to keep your child warm at night!
They keep you baby warm.
It is very common around the 4am mark for your child’s body temperature to naturally drop. If they are cold, they’ll wake up! Making sure you have the appropriate TOG rating for the temperature in your child’s room is important. (If you’re wondering what a TOG rating is, read here).
As a quick reference point, I generally use a 1.0-1.5 TOG sleep sack for my children in the summer, and a 1.5-2.5 TOG sleep sack for my children in the winter time. Although the temperature in my house is very constant year-round, the crisp air in the winter feels more chill then that from the air conditioning in the summer.
They grow with your child.
Sleep sacks are made BIG. I carry sleep sack that range from 0-36 months, and you know what? They actually make them even bigger than that! Although it may seem tempting to size up so that you don’t have to purchase more sacks, I highly recommend following the appropriate height and weight guidelines on each sack. It can be dangerous to put a baby in a sleep sack that is way too big, just like it can feel restrictive and claustrophobic to put a baby in a sleep sack that is way too tight.
As a rule of thumb, your child should be able to kick their feet around in their sleep sack freely. They shouldn’t be reaching the complete end of their sleep sack with their toes pressed up against the zipper. You also want to make sure that the chest area isn’t too loose, since it is very unsafe if your child can fit their head in the neck hole and possibly get caught.
They prevent crib climbing.
As a sleep professional, I have always recommended keeping a child in their crib until age 3. One of the ways to do this is to use a sleep sack to prevent those curious toes from crib climbing.
If you need some more advice about preventing crib climbing, read more here.
They are CUTE
Maybe the most important reason of ALL. I LOVE sleep sacks and the cute patterns and fabrics to choose from. Out of the sacks that I have purchased and tried for my kids, my favourite fabric is always Bamboo Cotton. It is lush, soft, and gentle on their sensitive skin. That being said, there are tons of sleep sacks to choose from for your babies: velour, muslin, cotton, bamboo cotton, merino wool, and so on.