Back when our first child finally moved out of the swaddling stage into using sheets and blankets, we discovered something that we had never considered…he was a kicker.
By that, I mean that he was absolutely unable to keep sheets or blankets on him during the night. Sometimes I was certain he was performing the can-can in his sleep so far away did his coverings end up.
At the same time, we also discovered something else. A cold baby does not sleep very well. I know, shocker, right? After several weeks of putting him to bed, waking up to re-tuck, going back to bed, waking up to re-tuck, going back to bed, waking up to re-tuck, we finally snapped. So we spoke to friends and to family and we even consulted Professor Google.
Eventually we discovered the concept of baby sleep bags and it made enough sense that we decided to try it.
The Merino Kids Go Go Bag made decision making simple - we didn't want to think about TOG Ratings - we just wanted something we could use every night regardless of temperature and undergarments. The Merino Kids Go Go Bag is perfect for all seasons and environments, keeping your child WARM in the cold and COOL in the heat. Merino’s unparalleled ability to “breathe” means it helps regulate your child’s temperature. So use it all year round without the risk of overheating. We also wanted a quality item that would last years, not months - we'd rather pay a few hundred dollars for years of hassle free use rather than $80 every three months.
Changed. Our. Life.
So what is a Baby Sleep Bag?
Baby sleep bags have been used through Europe for generations and are exactly how they sound – a bag for a baby to sleep in. Like this:
Essentially, baby sleep bags are designed to provide comfort and warmth without the need for additional bedding such as top sheets, blankets or duvets.
The benefits that we discovered.
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As there were no sheets or blankets to kick off while he was in his bag, he didn’t wake up cold (and honestly, that alone was worth the purchase).
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It was far easier to regulate his room temperature knowing he was already well-covered.
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We worried far less when we put him down each night because the bag promoted safer sleeping with no top sheets or blankets to wriggle under.
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In addition to the above, the bag also stopped his feet from getting stuck between cot bars no matter how much he moved around.
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When child number two came along, the bag also helped in the transition from bassinet to cot, and from cot to bed, as it was so strongly associated with sleep.
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Speaking of that, we also found the bag made the whole bedtime routine so easy. Every night, all we had to do was lay the unzipped bag on the bedroom floor and like magic, the kids knew it was bedtime and happily crawled onto it to be zipped up. Lifesaver.
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And we could happily go away on holiday (remember this was before we had a business), to visit family and friends because no matter where bedtime was, it still had that one familiar grounding.
How do they work?
I think I'll let the experts answer that.
So why did we go with the Merino Kids brand?
In essence, it boiled down to trust and design.
From a trust perspective, the reviews were amazing, in fact the Go Go Bag is the Number 1 recommended, 100% natural baby sleep bag by parents in NZ and Australia. And being a natural fibre instead of polyester-filled makes it a much more palatable item.
The Merino Kids Go Go Bag has also received numerous awards and now that we know the makers personally, we know how committed they are to engaging with medical experts to be sure that all of their clothing and sleepwear products have been designed with safety as the driving factor.
To back this up, Merino Kids Go Go Bags were the world’s first to pass the new internationally recognised British Standard for safety. Selina Russell from the committee which developed the code of practice that led to the new standard said: “Merino Kids products are so good they met the new standard before it was even developed!”
When it comes to design, Merino is widely known as the wonder fibre, due to its natural abilities to regulate body temperature. It is also a miracle fibre for premature and low birth weight babies. Studies of infants at Cambridge Maternity Hospital, UK, found that those sleeping in Merino settled more quickly, cried less, fed better, and gained weight faster. Merino also naturally prevents the build up of odour, so can be washed less often, and is the perfect fibre for babies with skin allergies and eczema as it won’t irritate even the most sensitive of skin.
On top of all this, the sleeveless design makes good sense and the unique safety belt aperture means you can simply transfer your child from car seat or buggy straight into their cot or bed while in their bag!
Do yourself (and your baby) a favour.
Those were the reasons we chose the bag initially, but what prompted us to stock them when we started Hugs for Kids.
Because they lived up to them all and exceeded every expectation we had as unknowing newbie parents.
So if you’re having sleep issues with your child or if you have safety concerns with their current sleeping arrangements or if you just want a great bedtime routine – give the Go Go Bag a go.
As I said, they’re not cheap up front but given all the benefits and the fact that we made one bag last two kids, they actually end up being the best value you could ever hope for. So good that if I had my time again, I’d get two just so I didn’t have to time laundry day with military precision.