Weighted Sleep Sacks

What’s the deal with weighted sleep sacks? So many parents want to know?

Weighted sleep sacks are just like other sleep sacks, except they have all over weight sewn into the fabric, often .5-2lbs depending on the size and style or just a pocket of weight on the baby’s chest. The popularity of these sacks is increasing but many want to know, “Are they safe?”, and “ Do they actually help?”

Let’s dive into the safety piece first.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested parents not use weighted sleep sacks in babies under 2 years of age and suggest speaking with your primary care doctor for children over 2 years old. There simply have not been enough studies to determine how safe they are, and many pediatricians are concerned about the weight restricting babies breathing and body movements. The other concern is the suffocation risk, if the baby were to roll, would they be trapped face down? The AAP simply doesn’t know at this time so they are taking a stance of better safe than sorry. 

But do they work?

Well the verdict really isn’t out on that either. Most studies have shown they do not change how well a baby sleeps, however a very small study showed that over a 30 minute time period, babies who were in a weighted sack seemed slightly calmer. Does this small study mean they work? Not really. 

From a pediatric sleep specialist’s perspective, they just are not worth the cost or worry. The benefits do not outway the risks. Safety must come first when it comes to sleep. Plus, we really want babies wiggling, kicking their legs, and eventually rolling around in their sleep. Anything that restricts these natural movements restricts a baby’s ability to self soothe.