Is a Toddler Sleeping Bag a Good Idea? (Yes!)

Author: Heidi Holvoet, PhD

How useful is a toddler sleeping bag? Your big boy or girl is probably ready for a duvet, but a right-size sleep sack helps with transitioning from crib to bed and encourages deeper sleep and longer nights.

There is no doubt a sleeping bag or, as it's often called, wearable blanket for baby up to 1 or 2 years old is the best choice. It keeps the little ones comfortably warm (not too hot not too cold) and snug in all safety.

Whether you'll benefit from a toddler sleeping bag will largely depend on your cutie's personality and sleep habits.

It is now less about safety but more about sleeping through the night, not waking too early in the morning, transitioning smoothly to a toddler bed and not in the least, about feeling cozy and comfy in bed, all night long ...

Let's discuss the main typical toddler sleep problems where a well-fitting sleeping bag helps.

Toddler sleep problems a sleeping bag helps avoid

• Transitioning from crib to toddler bed: when moving from crib to bed, the easiest transition is when you change as little as possible.
  
  That means: don't change the sleep schedule and bedtime routine now and also keep the same props such as a musical mobile above her head, cuddly toy near the bedside, etc. And, let her sleep in her comfy sleeping bag to start with. Once she's used to sleeping in the toddler bed, you can then transition to a duvet or other cover, if and when you like.
• Is your child sleeping restlessly and 'on the move' during the night? Do you find her in all sorts of positions and places all over her crib or bed?
  
  Then a sleeping bag comes in very handy: it restricts moving space a bit and at least keep her covered all through the night.
• Is your child an early bird? Many young children tend to wake early in the morning, say between 5 and 7 am. Sometimes this is a habit and with clear rules you can help them sleep for longer.
  
  But more often than not, a child will wake in the early morning hours because she's cold - uncovered from the duvet for example. That's the main reason a toddler sleep sack helps many toddlers sleep for longer.

Choosing your toddler sleeping bag

Finding a baby sleep sack or wearable blanket was never a problem: you will find them in all colors, designs, sizes and fabrics. Bigger size, for toddlers and up, may be a bit harder to come by.

It's still important to get the size right though. A too small sleeping bag will not leave enough moving space for the feet and your child will not sleep comfortably.

Luckily most good brands have a good size indication that works out well.

The Baby DeeDee Sleep Kicker is made of a high quality polar fleece and has the very convenient kicker legs that will convince even the most demanding toddler ...

And best of all, Baby DeeDee have agreed to give us a special 10% discount off any order from the Baby DeeDee website; simply use coupon code SLEEPADVICE10 at checkout.

Halo has a great collection of "Big Kids" versions of their successful SleepSack.

The toddler version, Halo Big Kids Micro Fleece is awesome and even has feet for extra flexibility.

For a true toddler treat, there's also the very durable, comfy and stylish Merino 4 Season Toddler Sleep Bag (as in the picture to the right).

It's a bit more expensive, but if you can make the investment, the Merino wool is absolutely definitely 100% worth it: luxuriously soft to wear, super cozy, keeps warm when it's cold and keeps cool when it's hot.