The Benefits of Baby Sleeping Bags

30th March 2024 0 Comments

Why Baby Sleeping Bags Are a Parent’s Best Friend

baby sleeping bag

When a new baby arrives, they bring joy but also challenges such as trying to help them sleep well. One of the best ways to achieve this is through the use of a baby sleeping bag.

In this blog, we will look at the advantages that come with using baby sleeping bags and why they are a must-have for your little one.

What is a Baby Sleeping Bag?

A baby sleeping bag is a wearable blanket designed specifically to be worn by newborn babies and toddlers while they are asleep. They are a safe and comfortable alternative to sheets and blankets, which can pose a suffocation risk for very young children. They come in different sizes and designs and are usually made from soft, breathable materials like cotton or muslin.

Safe Sleeping

One of the most important things about using a baby sleeping bag is that it promotes safe sleep; by putting your baby to bed in a baby sleeping bag their head and face remain uncovered, ensuring that they can breathe easily while they sleep.

Regulating Body Temperature

Regulating your baby’s body temperature while they sleep is crucial for their safety and comfort. Babies have limited thermoregulation capacities which makes them susceptible to overheating or getting too cold. Maintaining the right temperature reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and ensures a peaceful night’s sleep.

Warmth and Comfort

As your baby gets older and more mobile, kicking off their blankets at night could be a regular problem, exposing them to the cold and fluctuations in temperature. Baby sleeping bags are designed to give you the peace of mind that your baby is warm and comfortable when asleep. They are made from soft breathable materials that help regulate your baby’s body temperature to prevent them from overheating or being too cold. This is particularly important for infants since they cannot regulate their body temperatures.

Room Temperature

Aim to keep the room where your baby sleeps comfortably cool, ideally between 16°C and 20°C (61°F to 68°F). Use a room thermometer to monitor the temperature and adjust accordingly.

Tog rating

The tog rating on baby sleeping bags plays a vital role in maintaining your baby’s comfort and safety during sleep. Tog rating measures the warmth and insulation of the sleeping bag, helping regulate y

our baby’s body temperature. Choose a sleeping bag with an appropriate tog rating based on the room temperature and season to ensure your baby stays comfortably warm without overheating.

Dress Appropriately

At the end of your bedtime routine dress your baby to bed in lightweight clothing suitable for the temperature of the room. A simple rule of thumb is to dress your baby in the same number of layers you find comfortable plus one extra layer.

It’s important to choose a baby sleeping bag that is the correct size for your little one. A sleeping bag that is too big can pose a safety risk, while one that is too small may be uncomfortable for your baby. Be sure to check the sizing guide and choose the appropriate size for your baby’s age and weight.

Touch Test

Feel your baby’s tummy, back, or neck with the back of your hand. These areas can give you a good indication of whether your baby is too hot or too cold. Remember babies’ hands and feet will typically be cooler than their core body temperature.

If your baby is too hot, remove one or more layers of bedclothes to help them cool down. It’s best to choose lightweight, breathable fabrics that allow for better airflow and temperature regulation.

Fever Management

If your baby is unwell with a fever, it’s essential to ensure they don’t overheat. Babies with a fever need fewer, not more, bedclothes. Remove layers until your baby feels more comfortable, and consult a healthcare professional if you’re concerned about their fever.

Sleeping well when travelling

Sleep is essential for your baby’s growth and development, and a comfortable sleeping environment can play a significant role in achieving this. Baby sleeping bags help to create a familiar and soothing space for your little one; packing your baby’s sleeping bag when you travel can help to provide a familiar and safe sleeping environment for your baby when sleeping away from home.

baby sleep

Transition from Swaddling

Many parents like to swaddle their newborns, however, as your baby grows, and before they start to roll, it’s time to transition them out of swaddling. This is where a baby sleeping bag comes in to provide a similar feeling of security and comfort as swaddling, making it an excellent transition from swaddling to a more independent sleeping arrangement.

Your baby becomes more mobile

Once your baby starts to crawl, stand and move around more, traditional blankets can become a hindrance. Little ones can easily get tangled in them or become cold and uncomfortable. With a baby sleeping bag, they can move around freely without getting tangled.

standing up in the cot

The benefits of using a baby sleeping bag speak for themselves. From safety and comfort to convenience and versatility, these innovative sleep solutions offer a host of advantages for both babies and parents alike. So, if you’re looking to make bedtime a breeze and ensure your little one gets the rest they need, investing in a baby sleeping bag could be one of the best decisions you make as a parent.

If you would like to speak to one of our sleep consultants about how you can guide your baby towards better sleep, please reach out today. We can chat with you about how we can help offer practical and gentle sleep strategies.

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.Dip HV.

Founder Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic

0 Comments

See what parents' say about us

When feeling overwhelmed by tiredness and in need of real sleep help, Millpond’s ‘Teach Your Child to Sleep’ is a much welcomed, well researched resource. This is an easy read with a practical nurturing approach that walks you and your child through to a good night sleep.
Rozanne Hay, UK Representative and Director for Continuing Education IACSC International Association Of Child Sleep consultants
The Millpond approach is non-prescriptive and [their] book offers lots of choices for parents to match their own goals and parenting styles. I would heartily recommend it for anyone already experiencing problems with sleep or to set up good sleep habits proactively.
Melissa Hood, founder of The Parent Practice
This baby and child sleep guide is the perfect combination of accessible science, Mandy’s years of experience and a mother’s warmth. I love the way things fall into place with Mandy’s clear and thorough explanations!
Diana Hill, co founder of Essential Parent
Millpond’s brilliant blend of commonsense, encouragement and understanding – plus a highly logical strategy that is easy to implement – changed hell into heaven literally overnight. My entire family is thus indebted to Mandy and her team.
Freya North, Author
I am a GP and would recommend Millpond to any sleep deprived parents; you cannot put a price on sleep. Thank you so much. I only wish I hadn’t waited 19 months.
Vanessa, GP
We are so happy that we put our trust in you to help us with what has been a huge problem for our family for almost 2 years. We are finding time to relax and time for each other and I did not realise how much we missed this time.
Ben
As a family, we were sleep deprived. The tailored plan for our son made it personal. I am really pleased with what we’ve achieved during the programme and I am thankful to Juliet and Millpond.
Evrim.
We were at rock bottom. Our son has a neurological condition, so I was nervous and and wanted a sleep clinic who had experience of this and would adapt to the needs of our son. Our lives literally changed overnight!
Shurron
Within weeks our son was waking only once a night. The investment we made into Millpond was one of the best we’ve ever made. It gave my son a solid night sleep and consistency. It gave me and my husband our sanity back.
Shurron
I am delighted. I was aiming to go from 6+ wakes at night and feeding to sleep 100% of the time to 1-2 wake ups and some ability to self-settle. After doing the plan for less than 6 weeks my daughter started sleeping through the night.
Katie
My daughter is now having quite a bit more than the average sleep for her age and it’s lovely to see her waking up naturally. I’m also waking up naturally and feeling much more refreshed for having a regular sleep routine myself!
Louise
We are so happy we could jump for joy, we wish we had spoken to you ages ago. Using Millpond has built our confidence and made us feel on top of it at last. You really gave us some life back!
Sarah
I live in Switzerland so it is really quite remarkable that Millpond was able to help me over the phone and by email. When you have slept you can deal with anything!!
Melanie
We still can’t believe that such small changes have made such a difference to us and Alice. She has even slept through while on holiday in a travel cot.
Louise
We are just so sorry we did not get in touch sooner as we went through 18 months of no sleep.
Ann Marie
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We never thought life could be improved so greatly. You showed us the light. Luka is much happier and loving his sleep now.!
Diane
Alex is sleeping beautifully again and is now quite happy to lay in his cot singing until 7.30/745 am ( Godsend!) and sleeps very happily through the night again. Thank you so much!
Sandy
Very happy to say that Joshua, who you helped us with, is now sleeping a regular 11 hours a night uninterrupted. In fact, getting him up some mornings is a real challenge!
John
Mandy has been an absolute saviour at a time which was starting to feel quite bleak in terms of our little one’s sleep. The personalised advice and guidance has been invaluable.
Mary
“My husband and I reached out to the Millpond Sleep Clinic when our son was 10 months old. We had spent months in vain trying a variety of sleep training tips that we had picked up online, in a desperate attempt to get our son to sleep for more than 2 hour stretches! Nothing seemed to work. I remember crying whilst breastfeeding for the 5th time one evening, desperately begging my little one to sleep. We felt like we had been failing for a long time, as my circle of mum friends had all got their babies sleeping through so much earlier. I needed to get more sleep, with the return to work looming ever closer.

When we called Millpond, we were quickly introduced to Juliet who immediately took the pressure off us by providing a detailed “plan of action” based on what she had heard about our son’s sleep routine. After just a few nights, we already started to see big sleep improvements, and we worked confidently towards reducing our son’s night wakings and the duration of his night feeds. After a couple of weeks we had gone from 4-5 night wakings to just 1… and a few weeks later, our son started to sleep through! The biggest relief ever.

Throughout the whole process Juliet had been knowledgeable, kind, reassuring and made herself available to answer our questions over email between our sessions. Her experience as a mother herself, and highly trained sleep professional shone through. We can’t thank you enough for helping us through a rough time – and seeing us through to better days (and importantly, nights!!)
Cheryl