Skip to main content

What is a sleep sack and is it safe for babies?

When you are ready to bring your baby home, it is an amazingly exciting time for you and your family. You have babyproofed the house, and every corner is safe. You have their baby swing covered, and their nursery looks absolutely adorable and ready for its newest little tenant to move in! When bedtime or naptime rolls around you have made sure that your infant’s crib is as safe as it can be. But have you considered a sleep sack? “What is a sleep sack?,” you may ask. Well, it’s a great option to swaddle your newborn with, or even just to keep them from flailing their little arms and legs about while they are trying to go to sleep. Here, we break down all the things that you as parents should know about sleep sacks.

What exactly is a sleep sack?

Sleep sacks are there to take the place of any loose blankets that your child may have been given to sleep with. In short, what they are is essentially a bodysuit that is typically made out of cotton, to keep your baby cool. Instead of using those, using a sleep sack is a much safer option for them to sleep with. By swaddling them inside of a sleep sack, they will feel a greater sense of security and serenity for a wonderful night’s sleep. They can even keep the temperature of your baby from getting too hot. Plus, they also protect against those “startle reflexes” that newborns can have and they end up waking themselves up. They are a great tool to have when you are trying to teach your child a sleep routine, as well.

Related Videos
Baby In Swaddle Sleeping

Benefits of a sleep sack

There are plenty of benefits when it comes to your baby having a sleep sack for when they are ready to get some shut-eye. Not only has research proven that a sleep sack for babies can significantly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but they are great for making sure that your little one is safe and sound at night and that you, as parents, have peace of mind. They can help you and your child to create a bedtime routine, so soon they will learn to associate that the sleep sack means that it is time for some snuggles and then sleepy-time. Another perk of the sleep sack is that you are able to fully see your child’s face, and you are able to see that they are okay.

From swaddling to open arms

Swaddling with a sleep sack with your newborn should be used with babies that are approximately two to three months old because of the babies beginning to roll over. Past that, you can convert it into a sleeveless gown, which will still keep them protected, but they won’t keep them awake at night trying to break free from a swaddle. But it is imperative that you assure that you purchase the right size for your baby. Different varieties of sleep sacks are available that are convertible, like the Woombie Womb To World™ design, allow for swaddling in the beginning, and then when the time comes to change over to sleeveless, it makes it easy and done in a snap! Not to mention, they are made from a variety of materials, from cotton to bamboo, so you can find the best choice for your baby.

Baby Girl Smiling

History of the sleep sack

Sleep sacks are more than 50 years old! In Finland, baby sleep sacks were given to mothers from the Finnish Maternity Act, which was established in 1938. They gave them out beginning in the 1960s. Plus, the Netherlands has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. They caught on pretty quickly. Probably the one that we have heard of the most, the Halo Sleep Sack, was the result of a tragedy. Bill Schmid lost his daughter Haley to SIDS. Schmid, who was an engineer, set out on a quest to make sure no other families suffer a tragedy as he did. He designed the breathable sleep sack that moms know and love today.

The benefits of a sleep sack can greatly improve your little one’s sleep. Plus, the fact that they can decrease the rate of SIDS is a singular great benefit to getting a sleep sack. If you are considering a sleep sack but are not sure about it for your baby, you can always speak to your child’s pediatrician to see what they have to say about it, as they can guide you in the right direction if you have any questions about it. Ultimately, it is up to you as parents what you believe is best for your little one!

Editors' Recommendations

Going through the IVF process? Here’s what to expect
Ready for the IVF process? The steps and expectations from start to finish
A woman undergoing an ultrasound

Because of modern science, the birds and the bees aren’t precisely what they used to be. The rise of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has given parents ways of conceiving besides intercourse.

More than 8 million babies have been born via in vitro fertilization (IVF) since its inception in 1978 and 2018. In 2019, more than 83,000 babies were born via ART, according to CDC data. It’s unclear how many of those were from the IVF process, but the CDC notes it’s the most common form of ART.

Read more
RSV, the flu, or COVID? What to know about the tripledemic to keep your kids safe
There are still weeks left of this winter, so know about the tripledemic in case your child gets one
Mother comforting a crying baby

Nicknamed the "tripledemic," the flu, RSV, and COVID all made a comeback among children in the last few months. What's more frustrating for parents -- other than having a sick child -- is the overlap between these three that makes it difficult to know which is which, so you know how to treat it.
Though numbers are starting to decline, there are still weeks of winter to go where your child could catch any of these viruses. Parents need to keep an eye on possible cases at home, and we're here to help by giving you all the information you need to know to keep your children healthy, with a little help from our expert, Board-Certified Pediatrician Dr. David Berger, founder of private practice Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care.

What each virus is
The first step to dodging the tripledemic is to know what each virus is by itself.
RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a pretty common virus that almost every single child will catch by the time they turn 2 years old.

Read more
5 things you should never say to a pregnant woman
She's already cranky, puffed, and exhausted. Please don't make it worse with these common questions for pregnant women
Pregnant married woman standing in a floral gown

These lists are sometimes hard to compile because of the beautiful complexity and differences between women. What may be offensive to one may be exactly what another needs to hear. Women, particularly pregnant women, are multidimensional, deeply thinking, individualistic human beings, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" list that applies to everyone.
However, there does seem to be an invisible boundary of privacy that drops when a woman is expecting a child. In a time when she is very likely uncertain, nervous, and potentially bombarded with any number of questions, swimming in a pool of nerves, people think this is the time to invade her space.
Most of these are well-intentioned questions, habitual, even. Rightfully so, people are excited and happy at the sight of a pregnant woman, and sometimes in that joy, manners can slip. It's important to keep in mind that many women -- particularly the more introverted ones -- are uncomfortable with all the new attention they're probably receiving. For the women who don't relish having these conversations with their family members, friends, hairstylists, and strangers in the produce section, these questions can be very awkward. Keep reading to find out the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

'Are you going to breastfeed?'
This one is usually said with an air of haughtiness that also says, "It is the best choice, you know. Any mother who doesn’t breastfeed is just the absolute worst and shouldn’t be allowed to have children if only because of her shocking selfishness."
Ladies (and gentlemen), think about this one for a moment. While, as mentioned above, your intentions are undoubtedly lovely and kind, you may very well be deeply offending the already uncomfortable pregnant woman you’re talking to. Take into consideration that there are many reasons her answer to this question may be (gasp) "No."
Perhaps she has a medical issue that prevents her from breastfeeding. Perhaps she has a deeply rooted psychological reason she’s chosen not to. Perhaps she just feels icky about the whole thing, and despite her best efforts, just can’t move past it. Whatever the reason, she already knows breastfeeding is the healthiest and “best” option without you telling her so.
She doesn’t need to know that it’s what you did and that your babies were just healthy little horses. She doesn’t need to hear that feeding her precious, unborn baby formula is the equivalent of feeding it Tang instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. She’s thought about her choice more than you have; whatever that choice is, it's really none of your business.

Read more