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A baby sleeping bag is a soft and cuddly, buttoned or zipped bag designed to be worn by babies to keep them warm and is an excellent alternative to sheets and traditional blankets. The baby sleeping bag has neck and armhole openings to make it wearable and easy to get on and off her. It is designed to minimize babies throwing off blankets and getting cold at night.
There are many benefits associated with this kind of sleeping bag, the main ones being she will not get cold at night after throwing off covers , she will sleep more peacefully and doesn’t wake up crying for you.
We discovered baby sleeping bags after a friend recommended them to us. We live in a cold climate and our youngest child was a dreadful wriggler at night, constantly uncovering himself, getting cold and waking us up crying! I needn’t tell how you how awful it is to be dragged out of a deep exhausted sleep to go and tuck your baby in warmly again. If you are a mother of a baby, you know what it’s like! After doing some research and choosing a cute baby sleeping bag, we dressed him in the bag and crossed our fingers…We found almost immediately baby Darcy slept better, was a happier baby and we were not so sleep deprived 🙂 A bonus.
Another benefit of a bay sleeping bag is when you need to get up at night to feed them, they stay warm in the bag. There is no transition from a warm cot to your arms and back to the cot after feeding, so they remain more settled. I am a huge fan of babies feeling settled and happy. We have found the most popular baby sleeping bags with tons of reviews, to help you decide which one you may like. You will find them towards the end of this article.
This sleeping bag guide for babies simply illustrates the points to consider when buying a sleeping bag for your baby. Below are some of the factors to consider when buying one of these sleeping bags.
Size
For your baby to start using a sleeping bag, ideally she should be at least 8lb or so. Ensure her head does not fit through the neck opening when the sleeping bag is fully zipped. There are different sizes of these sleeping bags to suit age groups.
Common approximate bag sizes are:
- 0-6 months which suits babies with at least 8lb and 2′ length
- 6-18 months for babies at least 17lb and 3′ in length
- 18-36 months for babies 24lb and 3.5′ in length
- 3-6 years for babies 21″ in chest measurement and 4′ in length.
Besides using the baby’s weight and length, read product labels to determine the size of the sleeping bag to buy, depending on your babies individual weight and length as each baby is different in size and shape….
Choosing TOG
Tog is a European warmth rating, the higher TOG, the warmer the baby sleeping bag will be. Sleeping bags come in different togs as follows:
- 3.5 Tog for cold room temperatures (12-15 Degrees Celsius)
- 2.5 Tog for normal room temperature (16-20 Degrees Celsius)
- 1.0 Tog for warmer rooms (21-23 Degrees Celsius)
- 0.5 Tog for hot weather (24-27 Degrees Celsius)
Fabric and Filling
Most of the baby sleeping bag are made of cotton. However, some are made of polyester, silk, linen or merino wool. The fabric you choose will depend on the price and how washable it is. You can also choose from a variety of colors. The sleeping bag may also have different types of fillings such as a silk liner or wool or polyester wadding.
What should the baby wear?
What the baby wears will depend on the season, temperature and the TOG of the sleeping bag. A baby should wear as shown below:
- At 78 degrees F which is summer season, the baby should wear cool pajamas and a 0.5 tog sleeping bag
- At 75 degrees F, a baby should wear cool pajamas and 1.0 tog sleeping bag in daytime naps or a 0.5 tog sleeping bag and light pajamas for hot summers.
- At 70 degrees F, a baby should wear mid pajamas and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag
- At 55 degrees F, a baby should wear warm pajamas under its garment and a 3.5 tog sleeping bag.
Styles and Features of Baby Sleeping Bags
In this sleeping bag guide for babies, we are also going to look at the different styles which include side zip sleeping bags, front zip, button front and travel sleeping bags for baby. The side zip bags have double poppers on their shoulders and also underarm poppers. They open out flat. Front zip sleeping bags are great for toddlers who wriggle more. Travel sleeping bags resemble normal sleeping bags but with an extra feature, there is a back and front zip. This makes it easy to attach it to car seats and also pushchairs.
Tips for Washing
This sleeping bag guide for babies would not be complete without care instructions for the sleeping bags. Baby sleeping bags can be machine washed, hand washed, tumble dried or out to dry. When washing, keep the zip closed.
Use appropriate detergents according to the fabric. Preferably the washing detergents are low in chemicals or are natural organic detergents.
You can iron using a cool iron if the sleeping bag has creases.
For dark colored sleeping bags, wash them separately. Avoid using strong detergents that can bleach the baby sleeping bags. Different brands will have different care instructions.
Warnings
There is no one fabric that is 100% fire proof. These sleeping bags will either be labeled ‘low fire danger’ or ‘high fire danger’ depending on the type of fabric they are made from. In many sleeping bag guides for babies, you are advised to follow the manufacturers instructions in the label for the sleeping bag for your baby.