This product was provided for free for purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are solely those of the writer’s.
Here’s the thing about sleep: we all need it. And here’s the other thing about sleep: if baby sleeps, mama bear sleeps too. There are many ways to make sleep more likely, but we all want to feel safe and calm before bed.
You know that cozy, secure feeling of being tucked in before bed? It’s the best ever. Enter the Dreamland baby weighted sleep sack – designed by a mom for babies to induce that cozy feeling and get your little one to drift off to dreamland.
What is the Dreamland Baby Weighted Sack?
A quick safety note: weighted blankets for adults are loose blankets that are NOT safe for babies, and this is not the same thing. This sleep sack is a bag that zips up and is not a loose blanket. As always, you should be following the American Academy for Pediatrics guidelines while using any product to make a safe sleeping environment for baby. Weighted sleep sacks are not approved by the AAP, so you should always talk to your doctor before using them.
The Dreamland Baby Weighted Sack is just like a regular infant sleep sack, except it’s designed with multiple individual pockets that hold lightly weighted non-toxic beads to give it weight. The fact that the weighted beads are distributed all over the sleep sack make it unlike a lot of other sleep sacks on the market that have the beads less evenly distributed, or only on the chest.
The beads are enveloped by a premium cotton knit—that means that when your baby is wearing the sack, there’s less than .01 pounds on any individual area of your baby’s body. The sleep sack comes in three different options:
- 0-6 Months (combo sleep sack and swaddle): contains 0.8 lbs of beads, indicated for babies 8 lbs+
- 6-12 Months: contains 1.5 lbs of beads, indicated for babies 15 lbs+
- 12-24 Months: contains 2.0 lbs of beads, indicated for babies 20lbs+
The science behind a weighted compression for sleeping is clear: a gentle weight can initiate your parasympathetic nervous system, lowering your heart rate when you are hugged, swaddled, or held. And for babies specifically, a study from the National Association of Neonatal Nurses found that weighted blankets may be safe, feasible, and effective in helping infants calm down.
The story behind the Dreamland baby weighted sleep sack is one that many moms will recognize: it was created by Tara Williams, a mom desperate for some sleep. Her son, Luke, was waking up every 1.5 hours (we’ve all been there!) and she was desperate for a solution to help him sleep through the night. In a moment of genius, the Dreamland baby sleep sack was born (moms are the best product inventors, am I right?)
My Experience with the Dreamland Baby Weighted Sack
My first impression of the Dreamland Baby Weighted Sack is that it’s downright adorable. It comes in a sweet white with muted gray star pattern and features the cutest patch in the top right corner.
Adorableness aside, I was excited that the sleep sack was designed in partnership with pediatricians, NICU nurses, and certified sleep consultants. That’s a whole crew of people making sure baby sleeps safe and sound. This gave me the confidence to check it out.
Another thing to love? The entire sack is machine-washable. We all know spit-up and diaper blow-outs are bound to happen!
Other key features:
- Ample room for kicking and healthy development
- Premium cotton
- Two-way easy zipper
- Cotton blend designed for year-round use
Dreamland Baby Sleep Sack: Supporting Sleep
I have to admit, I had some questions about the safety of a weighted sleep sack for babies that can roll over. But one of the pros is it is safe to use for babies that can roll (make sure you are using the correct size). The gentle weight is so light that it is only 10% of their body weight and doesn’t restrict movement for baby. Baby can roll over, sit-up, etc. and do all of their adorable wiggling while in the sack.
Another pro: every baby is different, but moms agree that this sleep sack is a winner. One mom wrote that her youngest son was struggling to sleep and loved to be snuggled and feel the sensory pressure of mom’s touch to peacefully drift off. For her, the sensory pressure of the sack was a game changer:
“I suspected he would do well with weight on his body. When I searched for weighted sleeping bags, dreamland came up…we have been sleeping with the dreamland sleeping bag now for 10 days, last night he slept for 9+ hours. It felt great catching up with my own sleep. For me, Dreamland worked and was worth every penny!”
Before You Buy
So here’s the deal, one downside for me is spending a lot of money before I know if something will work. Baby products run the gamut in terms of price, but we all know that sleep is something worth sacrificing some cash for. The dream sack clocks in at $79, and you have to size up as your baby grows. The sizing comes in 0-6, 6-12, and 12-24 months, which means you may have only 6 months before baby sizes up again. You can buy a bundle deal for $138 that includes the first two sizes baby would need, so you could save some money that way.
Another minor downside is the time it might take for baby to get used to it. The recommendation is to use the sleep sack for 3-5 days to give baby some time to adjust to the sleep sack. After all, the sleep sack is a new routine. After about a week, you should find that baby relaxes and associates the sleep sack with the bedtime routine.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I love the sleep sack and think it’s worth investing in if you’re having trouble getting baby to fall asleep. I’d recommend talking with your doctor about giving it a shot to see if your baby could respond to the gentle calming power of deep touch stimulation.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Effective
Helps calm fussy babies
Swaddle option
Cons
Expensive
Have to size up as your baby grows
Not approved by the AAP
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Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start using Dreamland Baby Sack?
The Dreamland baby sack is safe to use for infants and older as long as you continue to follow the American Academy for Pediatrics guidelines. The infant version of the sleep sack also comes with a detachable swaddle wing so that baby can
Can you use the Dreamland Baby Sack every night?
Yes! In fact, creating a routine with baby for bedtime is a critical part of helping baby to understand when it is time to play and time to sleep. The sleep sack can be worked in with your bedtime routine.