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Why is it good to settle your child to sleep in a sleep bag?

Some parents use a blanket to get their child off to sleep, others prefer a sleep bag. As with many baby topics, opinions are split. Many parents simply follow the traditional methods they saw in their own families. If a baby blanket felt familiar and worked well, they are reluctant to change. Plenty of people have not looked into sleep bags and their features, so it does not occur to them to give one a try.

We would like to bring you a little closer to the benefits of sleep bags and share a few other useful points to know.

A baby sleeps in their cot, the blanket has slipped down from their chest

In a comfy sleep bag that provides steady warmth, a child feels secure, almost as if they are being cuddled. They can wriggle and turn with confidence, the bag will not slip off like a blanket and it keeps their chest covered. Sleep becomes calmer, which naturally has a positive effect on the rest of the family too. Perhaps you have already experienced waking up several times a night to tuck your little one back in, only to realise you have become a routine night-waker.
A sleep bag is also helpful when travelling, because it gives your child the same familiar feeling as sleeping at home in their usual surroundings.

It is important to choose a quality option so your child does not overheat, since they cannot take it off during the night. They should not be cold either. To avoid problems, here are a few key points to consider when choosing. If you start your search with this information, you are unlikely to be disappointed. We also introduce our sleep bags made from bamboo fibre, so you can try one of the new generation qualities.

Which sleep bag should you choose? What if your child is already crawling and moving? How do you pick the right thickness for the temperature? Let’s see.

What makes a good sleep bag?

If you would like to settle your baby in a sleep bag, think through a few simple yet important points before you go shopping. If you pick one at random based on looks alone, you may get home and find it does not meet one or two crucial criteria. In fact, appearance is the very last thing to look at with a good sleep bag. So let’s go through the most important aspects.

It prevents night-time kicking off the covers

When a child is tucked in so that the cover stays safely in place, cannot shift with movement, cannot ride up over the face or slip off entirely, everyone sleeps better. A little blanket unfortunately cannot guarantee this. If your baby rolls to the side, their back is uncovered, if they kick, they kick the blanket off and get cold. Most worrying of all is when a blanket is accidentally pulled over the face. In a sleep bag none of this can happen.

It allows free movement during sleep

A good sleep bag is roomy enough for a baby to move their legs freely. This matters, because they continue to practise familiar movements during the night, and if they meet resistance they may wake. A good sleep bag is comfortable for the baby.

It keeps them warm and helps maintain an even body temperature

Check the materials. Does it keep a child warm enough without making them sweaty. Aim for natural fibres, cotton, linen and bamboo are popular. Bamboo is special because it has thermoregulating properties. It helps balance changes in the environment and in the baby’s body temperature, maintaining a relatively steady warmth all night. Bamboo fibre as a base material is also natural and mindful of the environment.

It breathes brilliantly

If air can refresh within the sleep bag, your baby is less likely to overheat and their skin will not get clammy, which can cause a string of skin problems. Good breathability does not mean heat escapes, because the air exchange is gradual, the air warms again and again.

It is easy to put on

When your baby nods off in your arms and you want to lay them down without waking them, you will be grateful for a zip-around design. It is important that you do not have to thread their arms through at that point, ideally you can fasten the sleep bag with poppers. Practical construction is also useful if the room cools down at night and, after a feed, you want to switch to a warmer sleep bag.

It is safe

What should you think about when it comes to safety. A sleep bag helps you avoid a child pulling a blanket over their head or kicking it off and getting cold. Always check the neckline on sleep bags. If the neck opening is too large, and the armholes are deep as well, a baby could slip down into the bag at night, which is unsafe. If the neckline is smaller and follows the neck nicely, and the armholes are also small, this cannot happen.

The bamboo plant provides an excellent base material for high-quality baby clothes

It matters what touches a baby’s sensitive skin. Natural materials such as cotton and bamboo contain fewer chemicals than synthetics, so they reduce allergic reactions and irritation. Natural fibres allow the skin to breathe. They regulate temperature better than synthetics, and they are very durable. From an eco point of view, natural materials also biodegrade more easily.

It makes settling easier

Routines that a baby recognises help establish a settling rhythm. When mum puts them into a sleep bag, they know sleep is on the way. This calms them and they may drift off straight away. This is handy when travelling and your baby is falling asleep elsewhere.

What should we switch to when a child is crawling or walking

Moving is easy in a toddler sleep bag

Since little ones cannot tuck themselves in and out during the night for quite some time, it is worth keeping the sleep bag, simply switching to a practical toddler sleep bag. It is perfect for play and for sleep, its stretchy fabric puts up well with crawling and moving. If your child wakes and wants to climb out of bed, they can move without hindrance.

Which thickness of sleep bag should we choose

A key rule is not to choose the sleep bag by season, choose it by the room temperature. This way you can select the type that will suit your child best.

Do you know the TOG label.

TOG is a unit that indicates the warmth of a fabric. It shows how well a garment keeps a child warm. The higher the TOG value, the warmer the sleep bag or bedding.

0.5 TOG 22–25 °C
1.5 TOG 20–23 °C
2.5 TOG 18–21 °C

What should a baby wear with a sleep bag

Dressing little ones always raises questions, because we worry due to their sensitivity. We often decide based on our own sense of warmth. In reality there are several points to consider when deciding what a baby should sleep in. We have written a full article about this, we recommend reading on.

Try LiaaBébé baby and toddler sleep bags

LiaaBébé bamboo baby sleep bags are available in several sizes and thicknesses, with a range of colours and prints

LiaaBébé sleep bags made from natural bamboo fibre are special because they have even better moisture-wicking and thermoregulating properties than cotton, which means they warm the body in winter and cool it in summer. This helps eliminate sleep difficulties. They balance the effects of temperature changes during the night, so you can avoid sweating and your baby will not be cold.
From this type you will find sizes from 56/68 to 74/80, with varied, vibrant colours and attractive prints.

Sources:

The Lullaby Trust — Your baby’s room temperature.

NHS — Safe sleep advice for babies.