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When it comes to dressing your baby for bedtime, it’s easy to get lost in the options. Now, while there are some straightforward factors, like age, to consider, it’s also important to pay attention to how your baby responds to their sleepwear.
The most common options for babies are swaddles and sleep sacks. Both offer fantastic features to help baby relax and sleep. However, what works for one baby might not work for the other. Let’s break down the differences and see which might be the best choice for you and your little one.
The Difference
A sleep swaddle (like the Zen Swaddle from Nested Bean) is a thin blanket that wraps around your baby so that their limbs are snug and supported. This type of baby sleepwear helps reduce the effects of an infant’s natural Moro reflex, so they don’t startle awake as much during the night. Some swaddles look less like a traditional wrap-around swaddle, like the Zen One Swaddle. The Zen One, also from Nested Bean, has an adjustable band to hold baby’s arms snugly to their torso, but it also has adaptable, removable mesh sleeves that grow with your baby more than a traditional swaddle for more freedom.
A baby sleep sack (like the Nested Bean Zen Sack) is a wearable blanket that is usually arms-free but keeps the lower limbs snug while sleeping. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests not having blankets in your infant’s crib or sleep space, to reduce the risk of SIDS, sleep sacks are a great option to keep baby safe and warm all night long. The Zen Sack is also reversible for baby’s who can roll over autonomously and prefer tummy sleeping.
Which is Right?
Here are a few major factors to consider when deciding whether a swaddle or sack is the right sleepwear for your baby…
- Age: For almost all baby sleepwear, there will be an age range that is best suited for that product. Generally, swaddles are age-appropriate for infants between zero and six months old, but be sure to check the age recommendations for each particular product.
- Stage: Your baby’s developmental stage should also be taken into consideration when choosing sleepwear. If they are still experiencing strong Moro reflex then a swaddle is likely the best option, so their sleep is less likely to be disturbed by startling themselves awake. But if Moro reflex is less prevalent in your baby, they have started to roll over on their own, and they prefer tummy sleeping, it’s probably time to transition into a sleep sack.
- Cues: Your baby will let you know what they feel more comfortable in. If they prefer one over the other it will probably be reflected in how they react when you dress them for bed or how well they sleep at night.
Once you’ve determined which will work best, head over to Nested Bean and check out their range of safely weighted sleepwear products. Each product is designed to help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer from their newborn Zen Swaddle until they grow out of their last Zen Sack. And, what mother wouldn’t love to open a gift like this!
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- Lisa has been blogging since 2013, and loves sharing resources and ideas for living a simple life. To get free printables, bonus words, and more - sign up for the newsletter.
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This is great advice! Sleep sacks were well loved when mine were babies, but they didn’t love them all. All of my kids are hot sleepers, so they did not like the fleece or extra thick ones.