Baby sleep products are big business, and if you’ve ever tried to get a baby to sleep, it’s not hard to see why. Young babies need a lot of sleep, but they can’t seem to figure out how to fall asleep on their own, nor can they stay asleep. Hours upon hours of patting, shushing, rocking, and soothing a screaming baby are enough to drive anyone insane, so desperate parents turn to the many products on the market that are designed to solve their sleep woes. The issue with this is that companies are allowed to market and sell products that may actually be unsafe for your child, and it’s hard for a sleep-deprived, desperate parent to discern what may actually help versus what can hurt.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has done extensive research on safe sleep and has updated its safe sleep guidelines frequently in order to protect little ones from accidental and SIDS-related deaths. In June 2022, the AAP recommended against the use of weighted products/sleep sacks, saying "It is recommended that weighted blankets, weighted sleepers, weighted swaddles, or other weighted objects not be placed on or near the sleeping infant."
Although some parents may swear up and down that a weighted sleep sack is what got their baby sleeping through the night, there is no study that proves the effectiveness of weighted sleep sacks for infants in a home setting. Adults may benefit from a weighted blanket for better sleep, this does not mean it also translates to babies, who have different physiological needs.
In a perfect world, everything we buy would be heavily regulated for our safety. But although we want to believe that there are high standards for infant sleep safety when it comes to products on the shelves, baby sleep products are not heavily regulated and do not have to undergo safety testing to be sold. When a unique product, like a weighted sleep sack is created, there is no oversight until after the fact—-once it has gained popularity and survivor bias has had time to develop.
If you have more questions about weighted sleep products like:
- What are weighted products for sleep?
- Are Kyte Baby sleep bags weighted?
- Are Kyte Baby sleep bags safe for tummy sleep?
Also, it is important to note that the AAP does recommend the use of regular sleep sacks, like Kyte Baby’s sleep bags, for safe sleep! They recommend the use of a sleep sack as an alternative to an unsafe loose blanket in the crib.
As always, the recommendations from the AAP are never meant to shame parents! Their goal is to educate, inform, and keep babies sleeping safely.
Author Bio:
Ashley Olson is a certified pediatric sleep consultant, owner of Heaven Sent Sleep and The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness, and is passionate about helping new parents, experienced parents, and desperate and sleep-deprived parents form healthy sleep habits for their children.
She has over 5 years of experience in working with families and has completed over 150 hours of coursework plus continuing education related to infant and toddler sleep. The focus of her work is on fostering a routine that grows your bond with your child while improving their sleep habits. She specializes in custom sleep plans and one-on-one support in changing sleep practices!
