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As an exhausted and sleep-deprived mom of a 10-month-old baby girl who never sleeps – and I’m not exaggerating here! – I love Nested Bean sleep sack.
Why Use Sleep Sack For Baby
- Safety – For your baby’s safety, you need to keep the crib free from any loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, or any other objects that can be a suffocation risk. A sleep sack is a wearable blanket that you can put on your baby to keep her warm in colder months. Because the sleep sack stays on your baby no matter how much she moves around during sleep – and babies do move a lot while sleeping! – there is no risk of it covering your baby’s face and creating a suffocation hazard.
- Transition – When it’s time to stop swaddling your baby, which is around 2 months or with the first signs of rolling over, a sleep sack will help with the transition. Although in a sleep sack your baby’s hands will be free for the easier movement she’ll still have a similar snuggly feeling as when swaddled.
- Part of Sleep Routine – Babies thrive on routines. That’s why it is recommended to have a solid sleep routine that you diligently follow day in day out. And putting a cozy warm sleep sack on your baby right before bed is a good sleep cue for her brain that it’s time to sleep.
- Limited Mobility – When your baby learns how to roll over, crawl, stand up and walk, she’ll be practicing all those skills when put into the crib. But the crib is for sleeping and not for moving! Sleep sacks limit mobility and make it more difficult to move around or even try to climb out of the crib. Sooner or later, your baby will start practicing that too!
What is a nested bean weighted sleep sack?
What makes Nested Been baby sleep products different from others out there is their weighted feature.
Babies are naturally soothed by their mom’s touch. Hence, Nested Bean has created a gently weighted sleep sack that mimics the touch of a mom’s palm on her baby’s chest or back.
The idea of weighted blankets has been introduced to autistic children and kids with sensory processing disorders. There is still a lack of research proving that these blankets are indeed therapeutic for autistic kids. However, many parents reported that a weighted blanket had a soothing and stress-relieving effect on their emotionally distressed child.
The Nested Bean Zen sack has a padded area filled with non-toxic poly beads. This creates what is called a Cuddle Effect for babies. Meaning the baby soothes by feeling gentle pressure in the places you normally hold her. And this results in less time for calming and putting the baby to sleep and longer sleep stretches.
Even if you hold and rock your baby to sleep and then put her down the feeling of the gentle pressure on her chest – or back for tummy sleepers – will have a calming effect on her. This helps with keeping babies asleep for longer and with self-soothing when waking up.
Nested bean sleep sack review
If I were to tell you that Nested Bean Zen Sack is this magic tool that puts my baby to sleep on her own and keeps her asleep throughout the night I’d lie.
As I mentioned before my baby girl is a terrible sleeper. She needs all the assistance to fall asleep so I often struggle with her bedtime. I’ve tried all the possible baby sleep aids out there and none of them showed much difference.
My girl loves to be held and nothing can substitute my touch for her. And while I love all the snuggles, I cannot hold her 24/7. I need to rest and sleep too and it is simply not safe either. That’s where the Nested Bean sleep sack helps to re-create the same environment as if I’m holding my baby.
Plus having the Nested Bean sleep sack on makes my girl fuss less and she does stay asleep for longer stretches compared to other sleep sacks I’ve used. I love how snuggly and warm the material is and how it keeps my baby warm with no worries about suffocation.
The Zen sacks are made of high-quality cotton, they wash well and preserve their form. The Zen Sack Classic and Winter are made of 100% breathable cotton. And Zen Sack Premier is a more light version for warmer months and is made from 70% bamboo and 30% cotton.
And I love how the sack can be worn backward as well. After my girl started to roll over and sleep on her tummy, she now wears the sleep sack with the weighted part on her back. This way when she wakes up during the night it gives her the same feeling as if my palm is still on her.
Do nested bean sleep sacks work?
According to Nested Bean themselves, their baby sleepwear improves baby sleep in the first 2 to 3 nights. And there are thousands of raving reviews from parents who attest to this claim.
As I mentioned earlier, with my girl I wouldn’t say that the Nested Bean sleep sack made a huge difference. But to be fair my girl is a very difficult sleeper. However, I do feel that she feels more comfy and cozy feeling the Zen sack’s gentle weight on her back.
There are a lot of other factors that contribute to a baby’s good sleep. You still need to have a solid bedtime routine for both night sleep and naps. Plus, make sure to get a good set of blackout nursery curtains.
Depending on how easily your baby falls asleep, you might need to continue with all the rocking, patting on the back, and lullabying. But what the Nested Bean sleep sack helps with is creating a soothing and snuggly feeling for your baby that mimics your touch.
All babies are unique! So to see how your baby responds to the weighted sleep sack you’ll need to test it yourself. You might see improvement in sleep right away and be one of the many grateful parents who report it does magic to their baby’s sleep. Or you might feel the same as I do, that it just helps with fussiness.
Besides the weighted feature, Nested Bean Zen Sack has other benefits compared to other sleep sacks I’ve used (read the whole list at the end of this article). That’s why it is my preferred sleep sack which I use every day with my baby girl.
Are nested bean weighted sleep sacks safe?
If you’re worried that the weighted sleep sack might limit your baby’s movement and weigh her down – you’re not alone. No matter how tired or sleep-deprived we are safety always comes first.
Before using the weighted sleep sack I needed to be sure that it is safe.
And for worried moms like you and me, Nested Bean addresses this issue on their website.
Nested Bean sleep sacks went through rigorous safety testings and exceeded all safety standards. Zen sacks are safe for babies who weigh at least 7lbs. The weighted part of the sleep sack is way below body to weight ratio that is considered safe and depending on the product weighted part ranges from 1 to 5 ounces.
“The Zen Sack exceeds rigorous safety standards, both mandatory and voluntary, by over 8 times. Tests have been performed in leading safety laboratories and inspected by pediatric pulmonologists for breathing safety.”
It is however important to choose the right weighted sack based on your baby’s weight. Before purchasing make sure to read all the specifics of the sack so that it is the one that is safe for your baby’s weight. Read below my guide to choosing the right Nested Bean Zen sack.
Another important safety WARNING is to not pair Nested Bean weighted PJs with a weighted swaddle or sleep sack. This would be too much weight for your baby’s tiny body! Either use a weighted Zen Sleep sack on its own with any other clothing underneath or weighted Zen PJs with any other unweighted sleep sack.
Is Nested bean sleep sack safe for rolling?
Yes!
Unlike swaddles, sleep sacks are safe for rolling babies. Free hands and enough room for leg wiggling allow babies to move and roll.
Nested Bean Zen sacks are perfectly safe for babies who roll. Because the weighted area is light and flexible it does not hinder the movement of the baby in any way. When your baby starts to roll over and sleep on her tummy it is safe to put the sleep sack backward for the weighted area to be on her back.
Which Nested Bean Zen Sack is right for your baby
When choosing which Zen sack to buy, first decide on the material. Nested Bean sacks come in 3 types based on the thickness of the material (TOG rating). The higher the TOG rating the warmer the sleepwear is:
- Zen Sack Premier – is light-weight and perfect for warmer months with TOG 0.3 (70% bamboo, 30% cotton)
- Zen Sack Classic and Zen Sack Daydream Collection – good for year-round with TOG 0.5 (100% cotton)
- Zen Sack Winter – warmest sleep sack perfect for winter months with TOG 2.5 (100% cotton and heavy poly-fiber filling).
Here is a TOG chart from the Nested Bean website:
After you decide which one of these Zen sacks is right for your weather, go to the size section and choose the right sizing based on your baby’s weight and age.
Here is a size chart for Nested Bean Zen sacks from their website:
Where to Buy a Nested Bean zen sack?
It’s better to shop for the Zen sacks at the Nested Bean website. They offer free and fast delivery. And you can be sure you’re purchasing the original Nested Bean sleep sack. Plus you can choose from many different patterns and browse the latest releases that appear on their website first.
However, if you prefer Amazon, you can buy a Nested Bean Zen sack from Amazon too. Just be aware that Amazon prices are higher in most cases.
Summary of the Nested bean sleep sack review
To sum up, here is why I love my Nested Bean Zen sack:
- Lightly weighted padding that mimics mom’s touch on baby’s chest or back.
- Made from breathable and toxin-free materials such as cotton and bamboo.
- Machine washable and doesn’t get rough or lose form after numerous washes.
- Thoughtfully designed and rigorously tested exceeding safety standards by over 8 times.
- Easy to use with two-way zippers that make midnight diaper changes a breeze.
- 3 options to choose from based on material thickness – for warm temps, year-round and colder temps.
- Comes in different sizes and can be used for up until 24 months.
- Adjustable shoulder snaps offer more room as the baby grows.
- Can be used for tummy sleepers.
- Safe for babies who roll over.
- Generous return policy of 60 days. If for any reason you’re unhappy with their sleepwear after using it, you can still return it and get a full refund.
One last Thing
The only way to know if the Nested Bean Zen sack improves your baby’s sleep is to test it yourself. When paired with a solid bedtime routine and other sleep aids like a dark room and white noise, it can be a great soothing addition for your baby.
Even if you don’t see much improvement in your baby’s sleep, the Zen sleep sack has lots of other benefits compared to other sleep sacks out there.
But if for some reason you don’t like it their generous return policy allows you to return it even after use.
Your Turn
A tiny request: If you liked this post please leave me a note in the comments. I’d love to know if you’re struggling with your baby’s sleep and my Nested Bean sleep sack review helped you to choose the right sack for your little one. Or anything you’d like to share.
I know you might think your comment doesn’t make a difference but I thrive on comments from you, my reader! It won’t take more than a minute of your time but you’ll make my day. Thank you so much! ❤️
Tamara Tsaturyan is the owner and writer of Thriving In Parenting, a website focused on providing simple tips for busy parents — easy and healthy recipes, home decor and organization ideas and all things P A R E N T I N G.
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