Why my children don’t sleep in a plastic bag…
You may be thinking what a strange title, but for many babies and children this is a reality for them as they are sleeping in polyester sleeping bags each night. As I continue researching to find quality products for my baby and children’s store From Baby to Kids (www.frombabytokids.com.au) I am horrified to learn that polyester is made from coal and petroleum and is actually a plastic. Polyester is made from the same plastic that the PET bottles that hold water and other food products in.
Natural fibres like cotton and bamboo are fibres that breathe rather than synthetic fibres like polyester that hold the heat in. When a child is wearing a sleeping bag or is covered with a blanket made of polar fleece or polyester, it actually makes them overheat and sweat which is a risk for SIDS. Their little bodies then become sweaty and this then cools their body down as the moisture sits on the skin.
Babies and children who experience allergies and skin conditions like eczema can become worse when they overheat. One option to alleviate overheating and to encourage self regulation is to sleep in natural fibres like cotton and bamboo and even better when it is organic. I personally recommend and sell ErgoPouch sleeping bags and sleepsuits. They have been certified by the eczema association.
When a baby or children can self regulate their temperature, they sleep better. This is what all parents want and this is one way to help achieve it. Our sleeping bags and sleepsuits are available on our website https://frombabytokids.com.au/products-page-2/ergopouch/ or can be viewed in our store at 34 Lincoln Highway, Port Lincoln, South Australia.
TOG rating- how to choose the best sleeping bag
Sleeping bags, swaddles and bedding often have a TOG rating which describes how warm a particular sleeping bag is and is based on the British unit of measurement called Thermal Overall Grade.
As a mum to two young children, I have found sleeping bags so valuable and gave me a piece of mind to know that during their sleeps they were covered, warm and safe. Both my children were wrigglers who would move from one end of the cot to the other so it was impossible to keep a blanket on them and also potentially dangerous. By using these sleeping bags, it meant I didn’t have to continue getting up in the middle of the night to re-tuck them in. I have used Purebaby and ErgoPouch sleeping bags with both my children as I found it really important that they slept in material that was organically grown, but that would also breathe well so they didn’t overhead and sweat like the polyester versions do.
Sleeping bags can have a rating from 0.2 TOG to 3.5 TOG with the lightest being used in our summer through to the warmest being used in our winter. Typically the winter sleeping bags have a rating of 2.5-3.5 tog and making a choice depends on a number factors like what heating you use in your house, what type of pyjamas your child wears, what your house is made of and whether the afternoon sun hits their windows. It also depends on what your child is like as some babies/ children are hot little bodies and will overheat if you put too much on them and other children need to be layered up to keep warm.
I have found using the ErgoPouch temperature guide that comes free with their sleeping bag helpful to use when working out what to dress your child in eg if your child’s room is 16C and they are wearing a 3.5 tog sleeping bag, then they could wear a long sleeve singlet and warm pyjamas plus their sleeping bag to stay warm.
How to choose a sleeping bag for the different seasons
Winter- choose a 2.5 tog -3.5 tog which is suitable for bedrooms with a temperature of 15-23C.
Autumn and Spring, a 1.0 tog sleeping bag is more suitable when the bedroom is 21-24C
Summer is normally a 0.3-1.0 tog sleeping bag which suits bedrooms with a temperature of 21-27C.
(All of this depends on where you live and what type of air conditioning/ heating)
At From Baby to Kids, we stock a variety of ErgoPouch sleeping bags with sleeves and some without sleeves and we have 2.5 tog and 3.5 tog options. We also have Purebaby long sleeve sleeping bags and they are rated with 3.0 tog.
Visit our website to see the amazing variety of sleeping bags for all seasons- https://frombabytokids.com.au/products-page-2/sleep/
