For many new parents, night time is the hardest time. Whether it’s because your baby isn’t sleeping well (most newborns don’t), or because she is sleeping well and so you worry about SIDS, the night hours can be stressful. One way you can potentially reduce the strain is by using a really effective swaddling wrap such as the miracle blanket or a Ergo cocoon wrap, or, particularly for older babies, using a baby sleeping bag.
To keep baby safe at night, you are advised to place him on his back to sleep, and ensure that he is not overheated. A snug swaddling wrap will keep baby’s arms close to her body, reducing the chance of her rolling over. Of course, once your baby is of an age when she is rolling over easily, you should be putting her to bed without a wrap, or making sure her arms are out, so that she can’t get stuck lying on her front. While every baby is different, for most baby’s this is by around three months. A good wrap will also help your newborn feel warm and secure, increasing the chance that she will sleep well between feeds.
Baby sleeping bags also called sleep sacks keep baby warm all night, ensure the covers don’t get kicked off, and also ensure baby can’t end up under the covers. A baby sleeping bag is not that different to an adult sleeping bag, except that it will have either arm holes or sleeves, and the neck must be small enough that your baby’s head can not slide through it. A quality baby sleeping bag will have a TOG rating, which tells you exactly how warm it is, and what your baby will need to wear underneath the sleeping bag, depending on the ambient temperature of the room.
Can you wrap a baby under a sleeping bag?
The short answer is yes, but take care that you are not overheating baby – pay attention to the TOG rating of both items. Also, because a wrapped baby does not have arms out, it is even more important that you ensure baby’s head can not slip through the neck hole, into the sleeping bag.
