It’s not always easy to dress a newborn baby properly at night. If your baby is dressed too warm, they can overheat and sweat. At other times, they wake up cold at night and scream. Babies in particular need a lot of sleep - between sixteen to eighteen hours per night - for their physical and mental development, so it’s important to dress them properly.
So, how can I make sure that my baby is properly dressed? What are the advantages of a sleeping bag and what do I have to consider when choosing a baby sleeping bag size? Which baby sleeping bag size is the right one for my child?
Why do sleeping bags offer more safety?
Many parents have experienced this at one time or another: one minute, you have your baby warm, safe, and happy. Then the next minute, your baby has kicked the blanket off and is now lying in bed uncovered.
In the absolute worst case, the blanket can even slip over your baby's head, leading to a potentially dangerous heat build-up. If the blanket slides all the way off your baby, the child can get cold quickly, leading to a greater risk of falling ill. Especially in the first few months, baby sleeping bags are therefore a good idea, as you never have to worry that they’ll fall off your baby.
Sleeping bags can help to minimise the dangers of over-covering and heat accumulation. According to the BMBF or ECAS study, sleeping bags have a prevention effect of 23% compared to baby blankets. They not only offer more safety than baby blankets, but also provide security and warmth.
Furthermore, sleeping bags help to keep your child safely on their back. Although a sleeping bag offers enough space to wiggle around in, it still restricts your baby's movement to a certain extent. This makes it difficult for your baby to roll onto the dangerous prone position.
Here are all advantages of sleeping bags at a glance:
- reduces the danger of heat accumulation and the baby’s head being covered
- does not slide up or down and cannot slide over the baby's head
- always stays in the right place, even when the baby kicks
- offers protection and security
- helps your baby to sleep in a safe supine position
- keeps your baby optimally warm
- offers enough free space for small movements
- different baby sleeping bag sizes for different age groups
Why do babies move so much at night?
Very young babies are physically uncoordinated. Kicking in their sleep can help them to refine their motor skills and is therefore not a cause for concern.
Babies pass through several stages of sleep at night, but because they are not yet able to link them so well, they often wake up and start crying and moving around when transitioning from one stage of sleep to the next.
In addition, the dreams of children are more vivid than those of adults. Babies process and store the day’s experiences at night and move while doing so. Since babies are generally light sleepers, they naturally wake up more often due to feeling hungry, lonely or their having full diapers.
So, it’s perfectly normal for your baby to move around at night, perhaps even start grinning or trying to reach out and grasp for things. This is even beneficial for your baby’s physical development. Just make sure that they don’t roll over on their stomach while sleeping and that they stay in the supine position.
Baby sleeping bag - What size does my baby need?
A baby sleeping bag can help your child to sleep safely and soundly at night. However, in order for the sleeping bag to provide sufficient protection, you must purchase the right size. So, which size baby sleeping bag is the right one for my baby?
If the sleeping bag is too big, there is a risk that your child could slip into it. However, if it is too small, it does not provide enough room for your child to kick and stomp. Also, the sleeping bags are warmed by the baby's body temperature. If they are too big, too much heat can escape and your child will feel cold.
On the other hand, heat can build up if the sleeping bag is too small. It is therefore important to note that a child should never grow into the sleeping bag, as is often done with clothes. You should always buy the right size and only change the sleeping bag once your child has outgrown it.
You can find the right baby sleeping bag size here:
- a 70 cm sleeping bag is suitable for babies up to 6 months. This size can be worn by babies even younger babies, but we recommend that the baby weigh at least four kilos. Your baby can wear this sleeping bag until he or she is 70 cm tall.
- a 90cm sleeping bag is suitable for babies up to 18 months. This size is right for babies between 70 and 90 cm tall.
- a 110 cm sleeping bag is suitable for babies up to 48 months.
Sleeping bags can also be a great choice for slightly older children.
Baby sleeping bag which size for bigger children?
- Sleeping bags with a length of 130cm are suitable for toddlers from about 4 years of age
- Sleeping bags with a length of 150cm are suitable for toddlers from about 6 years on
Since children run and run a lot during the day, they need sleep at night to recover from the exciting events. To ensure that they are optimally protected, sleeping bags can also be used for older children.
How big should the neck opening of my baby sleeping bag be?
In order for it to best fit your baby, it is important that the neck opening of your baby sleeping bag be adjustable. As already mentioned, the neck opening must not be too large, as this means that the sleeping bag can slip over your baby’s head.
So, the neck opening shouldn’t be larger than the size of your baby’s head. It is recommended that the buttons of the neck opening be located on the side of the sleeping bag, instead of in front of the throat. Thus, the size of the baby sleeping bag can be changed at will and your baby does not run the risk of slipping into the sleeping bag or feeling uncomfortable because the neck opening is too tight.
For small babies, another tip is sleeping bags with zippers on the side. If you want to change diapers at night, you don't have to take your baby's sleeping bag off completely, but can easily open it at the side.
Which material is best suited for baby sleeping bags?
Nowadays, different kinds of sleeping bags made from a number of different materials can be found on the market. Two of the most important qualities for baby sleeping bags are that they be breathable and able to absorb moisture well.
Babies and toddlers tend to move around in their sleep. Naturally, they feel warm when doing so and begin to sweat. To prevent them from waking up hot and covered in sweat, the fabric of the baby sleeping should have good air circulation and be moisture-regulating. This also prevents bacteria from building up and makes the baby sleeping bag less attractive for dust mites.
When buying a baby sleeping bag, it is best to make sure that it is made from natural fibres. We at Zizzz use 100%, GOTS-certified organic cotton for our sleeping bags. Cotton is extremely breathable and is an excellent material for baby sleeping bags. In addition, organic cotton is free of any harmful substances such as pesticides and chemicals.
Other sleeping bag manufacturers also use organic cotton for their sleeping bags, but use synthetic matierials like polyester for their filling materials. Polyester isn't breathable and is therefore not suitable for bedding products. In addition, polyester is a type of plastic, isn't biodegradable and is awful for the environment.
TOG value for baby sleeping bags and room temperature
Another point to consider is the thickness of the material. There are sleeping bags that can be worn all year round; there are also special summer and winter sleeping bags. Like duvets and sleeping bags used for camping, baby sleeping bags often have a so-called TOG value. This measures the insulation value of the sleeping bag; the higher the value, the better the sleeping bag keeps your baby warm.
We don't find the TOG value particularly relevant for our sleeping bags, due to the breathability of our pure virgin Swiss wool.
The optimum temperature in the nursery for babies should be 16 to 18 degrees. Your baby should wear only a diaper, underwear and pyjamas under the sleeping bag. You can check whether your baby sweats at night by touching the area between your baby’s shoulders. If it is wet to the touch, the baby has been wrapped too thick or warm.
In conclusion, you should change the size of the baby sleeping bag according to where your child is in his or her growth phase and make sure your child’s baby sleeping bag is made from the right materials.