When I had my 2nd child, so much had changed in the last few years since my first. My knowledge had also grown from experience and from my education becoming a sleep consultant and behavior coach. But like everyone else, I am a mom at the end of the day no matter what my career or education is. This is why I want to share my experience with weighted sleep sacks and why the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) has added these products to the unsafe sleep list.
My Story...
My sweet little Charlottle was born and from the very start, she was the complete opposite of my 1st child, Harper, especially when it came to sleep! Harper was my "by the book" sleeper, she took 2-hour naps on her own, used a pacifier to fall asleep easily, and only woke for one feeding from the start. Charlotte, on the other hand, was not like this. I was very thankful for my knowledge of child sleep because it allowed me to know what to expect and how to work through each stage of her sleep development, but it was still hard. After the first month of hourly wakeups, I was tired, like soooo tired. I needed to do something to help this baby sleep longer than 1 hr at night. She hated to be put down on her own, but (just my parenting opinion) I did not want to co-sleep all night. It worried me too much and I probably would sleep less doing that, if that was possible. I had ordered almost every swaddle from Amazon (absolutely not kidding!) and none of them got us more than a one-hour stretch of sleep. Then I remembered I had a weighted sleepsack/swaddle still in the box from 3 years ago that I never used with Harper.
Here is where I struggled (more than my lack of sleep!), I knew weighted sleep sacks had just been advised against by the AAP in June 2022. As a child sleep consultant, I follow the AAP recommendations with all my clients, so of course now I was really conflicted and honestly, this confusion was causing me to be so sad and depressed. I obviously never want to do anything unsafe for my children, but I was also only getting 1 hr of sleep and was really struggling. So I tried it. And she slept 3 hrs in a stretch. We would try every few nights to not use the weighted swaddle and she would go back to 1 hr stretches of sleep. I had done so much research to try and find out WHY the AAP advised against weighted products, but there was no statement from them directly. This is when I decided to reach out to the AAP and the company of the weighted swaddle to search for an answer.
The Letter I Sent:
"I hope this note finds you and your families well and enjoying the holidays.
I’m Nichole Levy, mom to two little girls, one 3 years old and one 3 weeks old. I’m also a pediatric sleep and behavior consultant. I’m writing this letter to you all because I’ve been struggling with the concept of the weighted sleep swaddle for my newborn. My newest daughter is the opposite of my first daughter with her sleep and needs which led me on the hunt for a swaddle that helps her get more than 1-2 hrs of sleep at night. To say that I’ve tried them all is not an exaggeration; you should see my Amazon history! I then remembered I had a weighted swaddle from 2 years ago when I collaborated with you and after much debate, I gave it a try.
With my knowledge and commitment to safe sleep being a sleep consultant, I am truly struggling because the only sleep swaddle that helps my daughter sleep 3-4 hrs before a feed is the weighted swaddle. I am having extreme internal guilt using the weighted swaddle with the recent AAP guidelines, but I am also met with confusion and frustration. I know I’m not alone in these feelings. My frustration is that the guidelines do not provide a “why” or data for why we shouldn’t use them. Unlike the back-to-sleep, loose bedding, and surface sharing guidelines, this new guideline does not have a reason and when googling, the reasons are varying depending on the professional and are also contradictory to the marketing of the product. The combination of the vague AAP guidelines combined with the marketing of the weighted swaddles and sleep sacks makes it nearly impossible for parents to know what to do.
While I am running on lack of sleep and postpartum emotions, this debate I have in my head is causing me depression when every night I try a different swaddle to do the “right thing” and am left with 1-2 hrs of sleep. All parents want to do the best for their babies; but when left with a baby who needs more, what do we do: cosleep, stay up all night, use a weighted swaddle, put them on their side or tummy? Out of all these, my knowledge tells me the swaddle is the answer and the “safest”, but is it? You could even argue that a non-zip or Velcro swaddle is more of a risk if it were to become loose while sleeping at night, but there is not a guideline against using them.
With all this said, I am a logical person and actually do see how the weight could limit mobility for a newly rolling baby and have always advised against using weighted sleep sacks during this milestone even before the official guidelines. I also know newborns shouldn’t be sleeping through the night and I am not asking for that either. I am wondering, however, if there is additional guidance or guidelines that the AAP has established that clarifies the reason behind the recent change regarding weighted swaddles, for parents to leverage and make the most informed decisions.
I am truly just looking for some clarity because at the moment I am feeling completely lost, defeated, and guilty. I don’t expect to change guidelines, I know they are there for a reason but I hope this lands with someone who can feel how new parents may be feeling and help us make the best & most informed choices for our family."
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Nichole
The Responses..
Unfortunately, I did not receive a reply from the AAP, which I was really hoping for. I truly wanted the research-driven reason for these products not being safe. However, very recently, the AAP released a letter with more information about their advisement that was very helpful and gave solid answers. You can read it here. This is one reason they state:
"Even preliminary, non-peer-reviewed data under discussion in ASTM International proceedings suggest these products are associated with concerning reductions in oxygen saturation levels in infants. This means there is 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. A lack of substantial evidence about the possible harms of weighted sleep products should not serve as evidence that they do not cause harm.
I did receive an answer from the founder of the weighted sleepsack company. Here is an excerpt from that response:
"The AAP’s decision to include weighted sleepwear in their most recent guidelines was a complete surprise. We immediately contacted them for clarification and were informed that they could not recommend weighted sleepwear until more studies were done. They provided no clinical evidence to support their recommendation. In fact, the only research they pointed to in the statement was a study that demonstrated safety and efficacy in the NICU.
I want you to know that we stand behind the safety of our products. We are determined to find a way to restore the confidence of consumers like you who are confused and frustrated by the AAPs statements and the lack of clinical evidence to back them up. {Company} has never had an adverse event due to the weight of our sleep sacks, and we have sold over half a million products. We also are proud to work closely with NICUs across the country that successfully utilize the swaddles for their tiniest and most vulnerable patients. I am currently the co-chair of the ASTM committee on wearable infant blankets. We are using CPSC data to develop guidelines to help consumers make the best and safest decisions for their babies. We hope these guidelines will provide the framework for product safety and consumer confidence.
Every day I receive feedback from customers who tell us that our products are lifesavers, game changers, and godsends. We know the products work and are helping tens of thousands of families get the sleep (in a safe sleep environment) they need. Now we need to work together to clarify the AAP’s statement so no parent or caregiver has to feel “lost, defeated, and guilty” about the decisions they are making for their children. Thank you again for reaching out. I look forward to continuing this discussion."
My reason for sharing this personal story with you is 1) to give you clarity on the weighted sleep sack advisements and 2) to help spread the word that parents need support and information that helps us make the best decisions for our families.
It seems from the AAP's most recent response that they will not be putting their stamp of approval on any weighted sleep products or creating guidelines as to what is "safe" in this product category. I am not sure what that means for the companies producing weighted products.
If you are feeling similar to the ways I felt, I understand and truly know how tough it can be. Know that you will get through it and you will thrive soon! The happy ending to this story is Charlotte is a wonderful sleeper now, no sleep props are needed! I transitioned her to a regular sleep sack around 3 months and never looked back. Her sleep started to really come together around 12 weeks as we worked on a solid sleep foundation with lots of support. She takes long naps, goes to sleep happily, and sleeps through the night (she is an early riser though :) If you need help, I am here for you.
XOXO,
Nichole @ Little Peach Sleep