Until now I’ve resisted using sleeping bags with both of my children. Although they’ll both kick off their duvets, it didn’t appear to bother them so I always assumed they were just hot. Heidi also likes to party in her cot when we read her a story and is unable to get to her feet and pace up and down in a sleeping bag. She also suffers from night terrors so I was concerned they might restrict her and terrify her further still.
Yet the biggest reservation for me was that bedtime is very regimented in our house and even the slightest deviation from routine has them giving us the runaround until midnight. My kids change into their jammies a good hour before they go to bed to give them plenty of advance warning that bedtime is imminent. They then come downstairs and play games with us before climbing the stairs to brush their teeth - an impossible task if her feet are encased in material.
Yet there’s tons of evidence to suggest that, used from birth, sleeping bags are great for slumbering little ones. They replace traditional sheets, blankets and duvets which have been directly linked to suffocation and cot death. Research has found that the ‘old’ way of covering babies causes discomfort, as top covers are easily kicked off or tangled, resulting in your baby becoming either too hot or too cold. Sleeping bags solve this problem by keeping your baby at a comfortable temperature at all times. Being lightly swaddled at night will also simulate the conditions of mum’s womb and help baby relax into a peaceful sleep.
Yet if I were to embrace this with Heidi now, she’d need a sleeping bag that still allows her to walk - in my opinion without this, they’d be downright dangerous for my little stunt-woman.
So when I clocked the all new baby sleeping bags with feet from Slumbersac, I was intrigued enough to give it a go. Heidi is a notoriously terrible sleeper, and I have often wondered whether temperature plays a part. She might kick off her sheets, but is this because she simply dislikes the fuss of them, and not because she’s sweaty and hot?…
… Only one way to find out!
Our new sleeping bags with feet provide your toddler with the freedom to move about while still enjoying the comfort of their sleeping bag. Now you can get your little one ready for bed nice and early and they can still play until you’re ready to put them down. This clever design allows your child’s feet to fit inside the sleeping bag when sleeping, so toes stay nice and cosy! Available in 4 sizes from 12 months to 4 years in two tog ratings with three very sweet designs
What do I think?
First up, Heidi’s sleeping bag arrived impeccably packaged with even the post-lady commenting on how sweet the owl design on the packing bag was. First impressions were therefore that this would make a really lovely gift for a child in need of an extra layer as sweaty summer nights give way to autumn.
For exactly this reason, we plumped for the 2.5 tog so Heidi would be extra snug at night. Heidi is actually 1 year 6 months but I opted for a 18-24 month size to give her room to grow. This means the bag is slightly too big for her at the moment, but I wanted to see if this greatly affected her ability to walk in it - after-all most of us “buy big” for our kiddies. Thankfully, you can see from the piccies, she’s able to move with ease and, owing to the reinforced cuffs on the ankle, can negotiate the stairs without tripping over the excess fabric too.
The quality is also really impressive. I’m pleased to see that zips are plastic and fully concealed so as not to come into contact with Heidi’s skin. The zip also closes downward (so when dressed for bed, the dangly bit of the zip winds up near her nether regions, rather than her neck) to further prevent any irritation. From a safety and comfort perspective, it’s therefore up there with the major league players in the baby sleeping bag market.
The best bit, she loves it. She doesn’t complain when we pop her in it and it doesn’t affect playtime before bed. We’ve also noticed that she’s sleeping more soundly and for longer periods in-between waking.
Although Heidi’s toes stay free whilst she play, when she’s asleep we simply tuck these inside the sleeping bag to keep them toasty. I do wonder about her arms though. Given she’s so snug elsewhere, I wouldn’t want to pop an extra sheet on her, but this sleeping bag is sleeveless. It would therefore be a neat improvement on the design to see the higher togs with arms - or maybe even detachable arms so parents can choose depending on baby’s room temperature. I should point out that Slumbersac do actually do long-sleeve sleeping bags (not yet for the feet design) but there are winter-time solutions that I’ll have to try out on mini-madam.
All in all, I’m really happy with Heidi’s new Slumbersac and wouldn’t go back. Having seen how comfy she is, I can’t think why we resisted this long - we could have been enjoying extended periods of sleep ourselves if we had just bought into the sleeping bag trend sooner.
Bag your own from just £19.99 (£23.99 for the biggest size at maximum tog rating) from Slumbersac.co.uk, or find out more on any of their social media channels:
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