(AND what to look for)
Oh my goodness, the world of baby products is overwhelming! As a parent, it’s almost a full-time job navigating through product reviews of “baby stuff”. Often there are hundreds of options for essentially the same thing, all with a slight variation. Sleep sacks included.
Last week I posted an article by Health Canada about a recall of sleep sacks. I received quite a few concerned responses, and rightfully so. Of course, you want to know if your baby is safe in what they are sleeping in! The recall included a handful of brands where the opening at the neck of the sleep sack is larger than the standard. The good news is that there are standards and that there are hundreds of sleep sack brands who are following the set standards and that are SAFE.
If you’ve worked with me, you know I love the sleep sack! I recommend it to EVERYONE!!!! And, I will continue to recommend them. There are 2 main reasons why I love sleep sacks.
#1 - It’s the safest way to keep your baby warm. AHS and most other health regions recommend avoiding blankets or extra bulk in the the crib under 1 year of age. With a sleep sack, there is no worry that a blanket or sheet has been pulled up and over your baby’s head, or fallen off their body during the night. You don’t need to be kept up during the night (not sleeping) worrying!
#2 - As your child gets older and more adventurous, the sleep sack prevents him/her from lifting a leg up and over the railing to climb out. Keep the sleep sack on your child throughout their entire crib life! You can even use it once they are in their big kid bed.
When looking for a sleep sack, most likely you will see a TOG rating. This rating is a measure of thermal insulation. The greater the TOG, the warmer the sleep sack. Most sleep sacks range from 0.5 TOG to 3.5 TOG. For warm summer temperatures, a 0.5 TOG is perfect. For a cooler room temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius, you would want a 2.5-3.5 TOG.
My personal favourites have been Aden and Anais for the summer and The Gro Companies Grobag for all other seasons. Aden and Anais makes a beautiful, light weight sleep sack which zips from the bottom. The cotton muslin sacks come in so many cute patterns. I love the warmth of the Grobag as well as the side zip closure. The side zip is perfect for when your child learns how to zip and unzip… Less accessible for them. The Grobag also has so many cute patterns.
I have recently been introduced to the Woolino sleep sack. I haven’t used it, but a handful of clients have raved about it. The Woolino is an All-seasons sack which uses merino wool. I personally use a wool duvet and know how cozy it is in the winter and cool in the summer. So, I can only imagine how great this all-season sleep sack is!
I know there are many great brands out there! These are just a couple that have served our family well. Don’t let this recall of a select few sleep sacks scare you away. It’s a good reminder to read reviews and research the products you are buying.