Weighted sleep sacks, blankets, and swaddles aren’t safe, pediatricians warn

While weighted blankets have become increasingly popular with the adult population in order to combat anxiety, pediatricians are warning parents that weighted products for babies aren’t safe. The weighted pressure found in sleep products may provide a comforting pressure that acts as a sleep aid, but products like weighted sleep sacks, blankets, and swaddles shouldn’t be marketed as safe for babies.

Companies like Nested Bean and Dreamland Baby sell weighted blankets and swaddles for babies in addition to weighted sleep sacks—they’re even marketed for newborns. Pediatricians are now speaking out against these products, according to a recent Consumer Reports article.

Last month the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that these weighted products should never be used for babies. Rachel Moon, MD, is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and works as the chair of the AAP’s task force on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

“There’s no regulation of these,” Dr. Moon tells CPSC. “People assume that if something is on the market, somebody has deemed it safe.”

But that’s not the case in the U.S. Consumer Reports says the CPSC has been made aware of at least one infant fatality involving a weighted infant product and has been researching and examining these wearable, weighted products.

“We are aware of AAP’s concerns regarding weighted blankets and appreciate the safe sleep guidance these doctors are providing,” the spokesperson told Consumer Reports. “The CPSC continues to urge parents to shop carefully and consult with their pediatrician before buying any product that claims to improve baby health or help with sleep.”

Nested Bean‘s weighted sleep sacks are comprised of plastic beads sewn into the fabric surrounding the baby’s chest. The company says the pressure “feels as light as your palm on your baby’s chest.” Dreamland Baby‘s weighted products are designed to evenly distribute pressure and weight evenly over the baby’s entire body.

Over 2.5 million weighted products have been sold by Nested Bean, and Dreamland Baby has sold over a half-million.

The weighted products sold by Nested Bean feature plastic beads sewn into the fabric to place “gentle pressure” specifically on the baby’s chest, weight that the company says “feels as light as your palm on your baby’s chest.” Dreamland Baby’s weighted products distribute the weight evenly over the baby’s entire body. 

The science behind weighted sleep sacks causing unsafe sleep

Medical experts tell Consumer Reports that the “gentle pressure” described by these companies and manufacturers can still be dangerous to infants—for many reasons. Mainly because a baby’s body is different from an adult’s body, and therefore any pressure put on the chest has a more profound effect on an infant.

“When babies are first born, their ribcage is not rigid, and so it doesn’t take a lot of pressure to press on it and create obstruction there,” Dr. Moon says. “It makes it harder for them to breathe, it makes it harder for their heart to beat properly if there’s pressure on there.”

Additionally, having added pressure means babies aren’t able to get out of an unsafe sleeping position as easily as they would without these weighted products. If an infant rolls over onto their stomach, it’s harder to get back into the safe sleeping position of being on their back.

And, much to the chagrin of exhausted parents everywhere, babies aren’t actually supposed to sleep for 12 hours straight.

“In terms of babies who die of SIDS, what we think is happening is that they can’t wake up; there’s a problem with their arousal,” Dr. Moon explains. “If they get into a situation where they aren’t getting enough oxygen or have too much carbon dioxide in their system, a too-deep sleep can inhibit their ability to startle, wake, and restabilize their systems. When babies wake up in the middle of the night, that is actually protective.”

Dr. Moon also feels these weighted sleep products are similar in nature to inclined sleep products, like the Rock ‘n Play and inclined sleepers, which have been recalled in recent years.

What parents need to know about weighted sleep products for babies

While efforts to create safety standards and potential warning labels for these products are underway, parents are encouraged to take precautions in the meantime before purchasing these products.

“It is always deeply concerning when there are infant products for sale online and in stores that contradict clear expert medical guidance,” says Oriene Shin, policy counsel for Consumer Reports. “Manufacturers of infant products must take measures to ensure that all the products they sell are decisively supported by the data and proven to be safe. Parents put immense trust in companies when purchasing items for their babies and deserve nothing less than products designed and tested for safety.”