“AAP Raises Alarm on Weighted Infant Sleep Products”
Safe infant sleep can be a sensitive topic. Firstly, I want to be clear that I fully support parents in making educated and intentional decisions. Unfortunately, there are aspects of safe sleep that are not widely discussed and infant product marketing can often be misleading.
Today I want to talk specifically about weighted sleep products and infant wearables. Frequently used products such as swaddles, sleep sacks, blankets, etc. are marketed to tired parents promising fewer sleep disruptions and longer stretches for their little ones. What these products don’t highlight is how wildly unsafe these products can be for your baby, increasing the overall risk of SUIDS.
Here’s why
Thick, cushioned, or weighted sleep products make it difficult for you baby to roll safely and/or for them to get themselves into a safe sleeping position that protects their ability to breathe effectively while sleeping.
Weighted sleep products can potentially place too much pressure on a baby's chest and lungs.
Some of these products have no designated TOG rating (Thermal Overall Grade) meaning that there is no indication of how warm the garment is and potentially increasing the risk of your baby overheating during sleep.
These products are designed to help your infant sleep deeper and longer, which can directly affect arousal during sleep. There is some evidence suggesting that inability for a baby to come into lighter sleep stages or wake themselves when needed potentially increases the risk of SUIDS.
Safety Always
We’ve all heard the phrase “safety first”. I’d like to challenge you to rephrase that to “safety always”. It is not worth the risk to test the limits of safety even once. While I strongly believe there should be more rigorous restrictions for infant product manufacturers, it is up to us individually as parents to ensure that the products we’re using to support ourselves and our babes are truly safe.
If you are unsure of the safety of a product you’re using, I highly recommend doing more in depth research, consulting the most up-to-date AAP guidelines for safe infant sleep, product advisories and recalls. The safety of your family is paramount.
Let’s Connect
If you are struggling with your baby or toddlers sleep and would like to ask questions or discuss a personalized Sleep Plan, I offer free Discovery Calls and 1:1 Sleep Coaching Sessions for anyone inside of the US and would be happy to support your family.
Read more on Safe Sleep by the AAP
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/25066/AAP-raises-alarm-on-weighted-infant-sleep-products#
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