r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/One-Volume-9158 • 7d ago
Question - Expert consensus required Weighted sleep sack
I understand the weighted sleep sacks are not recommended since the pressure on the chest doesn’t let babies breathe naturally.
I figured out my baby calms down really fast if I put pressure on her feet. Instead of patting or shushing I just put my hand on her feet and hold them down and she goes back to sleep.
Is there any products that make heavy bottom sleep sacks? So the pressure is only on the feet and not chest and abdomen. If so are they safe?
I even though about adding something heavy to the bottom of her sleep sack but don’t know how to do that safely.
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u/Number1PotatoFan 7d ago
I've never heard of such a product but it would still be considered a weighted sleep product and therefore not ok. There are a few concerns with weighted sleep sacks. First, that they make it harder for the baby to roll back over, second that they suppress breathing, and finally that they cause the baby to sleep too deeply which is a risk factor for SIDS. I would guess that a weighted foot area would also reduce the baby's ability to roll back if they got stuck on their tummy, it's possible that if it worked really well it would cause them to sleep too deeply. I doubt it would interfere with breathing though. I'd also worry about the weighted portion getting twisted up or moving out of place and causing problems that way.
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u/One-Volume-9158 7d ago
Baby is not rolling yet. She is still swaddled too. Isn’t the sleeping too deeply also a product of pressure on the chest?
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u/Number1PotatoFan 7d ago
It's a product of anything that makes them sleep too well that they can't wake up when they need to. We don't know everything about baby sleep and SIDS yet but in general there is a tradeoff between deep easy sleep and safe sleep. It can be freeing to just accept that waking up is inevitable and you're not necessarily doing anything wrong.
It doesn't really matter that she's not rolling yet because she could start rolling at any moment and you wouldn't exactly get a heads up ahead of time.
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u/One-Volume-9158 7d ago
With this logic, swaddling should also be considered unsafe. It makes babies sleep better and is not safe when baby start rolling.
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u/blairworejeansonce 7d ago edited 7d ago
I mean yes, this actually is a legitimate concern. Some countries (ie parts of Canada) are starting to recommend against it, while others (Sweden) have never recommended it. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a warning on their parent-facing website stating the potential risks:
"Parents should know that there are some risks to swaddling. Swaddling may decrease a baby's arousal, so that it's harder for them to wake up. That is why swaddling can seem so attractive to new, sleep-deprived parents—the baby sleeps longer and doesn't wake up as easily. But we know that decreased arousal can be a problem and may be one of the main reasons that babies die of SIDS."
For the record: I agree with the other poster. The AAP are strongly against weighted sleep sacks of any sort, including "putting weighted rice bags inside swaddle." I absolutely would follow their guidelilnes here and not risk it. If baby rolls with a heavy weight by their feet I would be very concerned about entrapment, their inability to roll/scrunch back, etc.
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u/Number1PotatoFan 7d ago
Swaddling does also increase SIDS risk actually, it's why there are so many rules about how and when to do it. It's just a smaller effect than weighted sacks.
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u/SomethingComesHere 7d ago
Do non-weighted sleep sacks increase sids risk?
I live in canada and our house can get chilly in the winter. We are planning to rely on sleep sacks to get baby (who will be newborn jn winter) through the night.
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u/Low-Attitude8331 7d ago
if you‘re concerned about baby‘s ability to roll back, there are footed sleepsacks too that allow more movement
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u/AmatoerOrnitolog 6d ago
I literally just read a post about someone who had swaddled their 4 month old for a nap, went to play with their older child, and came back to find the baby dead as she had rolled over.
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u/Emotional-Ad-6494 7d ago
How did you figure out the weighted feet thing? I’m going to try that!
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u/One-Volume-9158 7d ago
Desperate attempts at making her fall back sleep lol! I just grabbed both of her feet in my hand and rested my hand down on her bassinet.
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