Are Weighted Sleep Sacks Safe for Babies?

Parents say they calm babies, but experts warn they can be dangerous. Here's what you need to know about weighted sleep sacks and blankets for infants.

Every new parent is looking for ways to help their baby sleep. Given that most newborns sleep no more than three hours at a time for the first three months, parents are eager to help babies linger in dreamland a little longer. Naturally, you may be tempted to load up on products touted to help your baby sleep, like sleep sacks—or a variation that has more recently hit the market, weighted sleep sacks.

They sure look comfy–but are these weighted sleep sacks safe for babies? Many experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), say no. Here, we share why you should think twice before using a weighted sleep sack for your baby and tips to help your baby get a sound—and more importantly, safe—sleep.

What Is a Weighted Sleep Sack?

Sleep sacks are wearable blankets with zippers or snaps to help the garment stay on your baby even when your little one moves around during sleep. Sleep sacks have become increasingly popular since the 1990s, when the AAP raised awareness about the role of loose bedding in the crib in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Weighted sleep blankets have the added feature of weights that are strategically sewn within the sleep sack to provide gentle pressure across a baby's body. Some baby gear manufacturers also make weighted swaddle blankets that wrap, rather than zip, around your baby.

Weighted blankets have become popular for adults, who say the gentle pressure helps them fall and stay asleep. Research shows that weighted blankets do alleviate nighttime insomnia and daytime sleepiness in adults. Manufacturers of weighted sleep blankets and swaddles say that the strategically placed weights mimic the pressure of your hand or body, which helps soothe and settle babies.

Related: The Best Baby Sleep Tips Ever

Are Weighted Sleep Sacks Safe?

Doctors warn against weighted sleep sacks. In its updated sleep guidelines, the AAP said that neither weighted sleep sacks nor weighted blankets should be placed "on or near" a sleeping baby. “Weighted swaddle clothing or weighted objects within swaddles are not safe and therefore not recommended,” the recommendation reads.

The very thing weighted products claim to do—help a baby stay asleep—is at the core of doctors' concerns. According to the AAP, impaired arousal—the inability of a baby to wake up quickly in a time of distress—may contribute to SIDS risk. "The goal of safe sleep recommendations is to decrease sudden unexpected infant death…a term to describe a sudden and unexpected death in an infant less than 1 year old, whether explained or unexplained, occurring during infancy,” says Susan Katz, RN, DNP, PNP, the infant apnea program coordinator and a nurse practitioner in the newborn nursery at Stony Brook Medicine.

Another concern of some experts relates to the beads or pellets used to weigh down these sleep sacks and swaddle blankets. The CSPC has long banned the use of beads in pillows due to the potential choking hazard they pose to young children if they spill out of the fabric.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has updated its safe sleep guidelines to address weighted sleep sacks. In a list of "dos and don'ts" for infant sleep safety, weighted sacks are listed in the "don't" category.

According to CPSC records, at least one infant has died while wearing a weighted sleep sack, and another died while wearing a weighted swaddle blanket. Whether the sleep sack was a factor in either case is unclear. One baby was in an infant lounger and the other in an infant swing, products that the AAP warns babies should never sleep in due to an elevated SIDS risk.

What Do Makers of Weighted Sleep Sacks Say?

The AAP has urged the CPSC and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to be more strict about the sale of weighted infant products to “avoid a repeat of what happened with inclined sleepers, in-bed sleepers, and other novel sleep-related products,” which were linked to more than 100 deaths. In the meantime, through email correspondence with Parents in 2023, two of the most popular makers of weighted infant sleep sacks maintained their products are safe.

“Dreamland Baby proudly stands behind the efficacy and safety of its gently weighted sleep solutions,” a representative for Dreamland Baby wrote in an emailed statement. The representative added the company " is hopeful that the AAP will reverse its recommendations on weighted sleepwear once additional studies are complete."

In a separate email to Parents, a representative for Nested Bean wrote, “To help sleep-deprived parents, Nested Bean innovated a new way of comforting infants with its gently weighted sleepwear. We continue to understand the AAP's position on the research we have performed so far. We highly regard their feedback and hope to sufficiently answer their concerns through published work. In the meantime, we maintain that our products are safe when used as directed and continue to help our satisfied customers.”

Nested Bean commissioned a study conducted by a private engineering firm and obtained by NBC News. It was a small study that was not peer-reviewed and included only five infants. Researchers used oval weights and placed them on infants’ chests to mimic the design of Nested Bean’s products. Nested Bean felt it showed no safety concerns. The AAP disagreed, writing that the preliminary data showed “evidence that the use of weight sleep products on infants can lead to lower oxygen levels, which, if sustained, may be harmful to the developing infant’s brain."

Related: Why Crib Bumpers Are Never Safe

How Can You Help Your Baby Sleep Safely?

Dr. Katz advises parents to heed the CPSC and AAP’s advice for creating a safe sleeping environment for their baby. “I personally believe less is more,” she says. “Bumpers, loose bedding, including sheets and blankets, and toys all have the potential to cause harm to the baby. With items like these in a crib, babies can suffocate, strangle, and get trapped.”

Dr. Katz also recommends following the ABCs of safe sleep, which stand for placing an infant:

• Alone

• On their Back

• In the Crib (or another safe sleep space with a firm mattress, such as a bassinet or pack and play)
  

There are some sleep-promoting products that doctors consider safe, when used correctly. A tightly wrapped, non-weighted swaddle blanket can be helpful for newborns, but Dr. Katz advises parents to lose the swaddle once the baby starts to roll over, usually around 3 months. Then, parents can transition their baby into a non-weighted sleep sack. Dr. Katz recommends choosing a sleeveless sleep sack, so your baby's arms can move freely.

Additionally, “I encourage the use of a pacifier,” Dr. Katz says. Studies show that pacifiers can reduce SIDS risk, as long as they are not attached to a stuffed animal or any cord or string that can get caught around your baby's neck.

Ensure that all caregivers, like grandparents and babysitters, know the up-to-date sleep guidelines and the rules you follow in your household. “It’s important for everyone who cares for the baby to be aware of and to use safe sleep practices,” Dr. Katz says.

Related: The 5 Best Sleep Training Methods (Plus Tips From Parents)

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