Bumps SmittenWhen you’re a parent, the safety and comfort of your baby at night are some of your top priorities. There are lots of choices available in the market that can easily leave you confused. When it comes to sleep sack vs. saddle, which is really the better option?
Read on below to learn the key differences between these two to make the best choice for your little one.
Keep reading to learn more about the differences between the two so you can make the right choice for your baby.
What is a Sleep Sack?
Sleep sacks are wearable blankets for babies. It is a sack of fabric that has three holes. One of these holes is for the head while the remaining two are for the arms. The legs and body of your baby remain nestled inside the loose pouch. Most of the time, there is a zipper to allow your baby to easily get in and out of the sack.
Sleep sacks are usually used as the transitional item when the baby has already outgrown the swaddle but is not yet ready to use a blanket.
Since it is still unsafe for babies to have loose items or fabrics with them inside the crib until they learn to control their bodies to move away from the risks of suffocation, sleep sacks can make your baby covered safely and feel warm.
The fabric of sleep sacks has been designed to not go over the baby’s head provided that you use the right size for your little one.
Benefits of Sleep Sacks
The first and most important benefit of sleep sacks is their aspect of safety compared to blankets. Sleep sacks are safer alternatives to loose bedding and blankets.
With no blanket to kick-off, your baby can move around and retain a comfortable temperature all night long. Your baby also has enough leg space to kick.
Other benefits of sleep sacks include the following:
Sleep sacks can help your baby enjoy longer sleeping hours.
Sleep sacks give your baby enough space to move.
Sleep sacks allow quick and easy diaper changes in the middle of the night.
Sleep sacks help ensure that your baby doesn’t get overheated because of too many blankets.
Sleep sacks offer a sense of security.
What is a Swaddle?
Swaddle is a term that doesn’t refer to a particular item or product. Instead, this pertains to a certain method of safely wrapping up a baby in a blanket.
By swaddling your baby, the blankety will be tight around the chest area of your baby but a bit looser around the hips. Swaddling also keeps the arms of your baby from moving around or jerking while sleeping.
It also ensures that your baby will stay warm and cozy throughout the night without overheating. When you swaddle, it also gives babies the impression of being inside their mother’s womb.
Swaddling blankets are often made from lightweight materials that are comfortable on the sensitive skin of babies. The most common and popular materials for swaddling blankets include muslin, bamboo, and cotton.
Most babies tend to enjoy better sleep at night when they are swaddled up in a blanket, and this is why this is the favorite option of most parents. However, there is one caveat here. Once your baby starts trying to roll over, it is also time to stop using swaddle blankets.
Babies often reach this stage at the age of 4 to 6 months although there are babies that start rolling much earlier. When your baby rolls over while swaddled up, this might lead to SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome.
Benefits of Swaddling Blankets
Swaddling can create a sense of safety for babies that reminds them of being in the womb. After all, it might be quite frightening for babies to flail around in the outside world after being squished inside the womb for 9 months.
One of the key advantages of swaddling is that it imitates the mother’s womb. This can calm, soothe, and help babies sleep. The following are other benefits of swaddling blankets:
Swaddling blankets help babies suffering from colic to have a good night’s sleep.
Swaddling blankets mimic a mother’s touch and her body’s close contact.
Swaddling blankets prevent unnecessary waking up at night, especially because of startle or Moro reflex. This is an involuntary reflex that takes place just after birth.
Simply put, swaddling blankets are a wonderful way for your baby to stay safe and snug at night until they start attempting to roll over.
Is a Sleep Sack Better Than a Swaddling Blanket?
Swaddling blankets and sleep sacks serve the same functions although they have several key differences in terms of intended use and design.
Neither of these two baby sleep solutions is necessarily a better choice over the other. It is more a matter of personal choice and preference and the specific needs of your little one.
Swaddles are harder to use and have a more limited lifespan. They also offer a feeling of familiarity and security while making sure that your baby remains safe and snug.
On the other hand, a sleep sack is easier to use and can last much longer compared to swaddling blankets as long as you upgrade the size as necessary. Sleep sacks are also warmer and many of them either have arms or are sleeveless that allow for minimal movement.
Some parents use swaddling blankets for their newborns until they begin to roll over and switch to sleep sacks later on. At the end of the day, the choice is all up to you.
Sleep Sack vs. Swaddle – The Bottom Line
Anything that can help your little angel sleep in utmost peace and comfort is worth trying for parents. Now that you know more about swaddles and sleep sacks and their specific benefits, you will be able to determine which is the safer, warmer, and cozier option for your baby.
No matter what you choose between these two, make sure you train your little one and always remember that safety should always come first before anything else.
