And Our Winner is...

Tracy!
Congratulations- you will love the bag!

Travel on the Go: Graco Infant Travel Bed

Traveling with a baby? In search of a compact sleep solution?

Graco makes an Infant Travel Bed that is great for travel, nap time out or whenever you need a place to put your baby to bed. It is very compact- ideal for airplane travel as well as an already loaded car. It weighs under 5 pounds and has nice shoulder strap for comfort. You could also easily pack it in a larger suitcase. It is wipeable and comes with two removable, washable sheets and is extremely easy to assemble. This bed could serve your sleep-on-the-go needs until your baby is 5-6 months and/or the baby starts rolling/pushing up... I suggest keeping it on the floor for safety purposes.

Hotels, Grandma's, Sleep Overs: Sleeping Bags for your Little Ones

This summer you are going to grandma's house, you are staying at a hotel in San Diego, you are having friends visit from Oklahoma and need some extra "beds" for the kids. It is amazing how a good, cozy sleeping bag can make the kids feel special wherever you are going and provide them with a comfortable place to sleep. This doesn't have to be a bag that is geared up for camping- ready for 40 degree or 20 degree conditions. It just has to be cozy- and if it is a fun fabric that your child gets to choose or your child likes that is all the better!

I reviewed a couple options that really are great and will make your child feel special in their "travel bed" while you are on vacation or wherever you need some extra "beds".
Land's End has a Kid's Sleeping Bag Set that is 26x66 and comes in Soft Jade Horse, Pearl Pink Floral, or Light Sea Blue Stripe. Great prints for boys and girls! It is a soft 100% cotton with 100% polyester fill. This cozy, cute bag comes with a coordinating pillow case and storage bag. I love that it comes with the matching pillow case! It is nicely quilted and very comfy- my kids love it. It needs to be commercial washed. The bag costs $59.50 and is worth the money. (They also have a Kids' Percale Applique Sleeping Bag in 3 colors).

Pottery Barn Kids has two great options. First, they have the adorable McKenna Sleeping Bag. It is 26x66 has a zipper closure with Velcro ties to secure it in a roll for storage. It is made out of organic cotton fabric in a "vintage floral print on a pink background with solid pink liner" and keeps your little girls cozy and warm. It feels like you are wrapped in a down comforter. My daughter just took hers to an evening movie night (it was in the
mid-50s outside) and stayed nice and toasty. The pretty fabric makes
any girl feel special.This bag can be machine washed on cold and dried on low heat. This bag costs $89.

Second, they have the Sawyer Sleeping Bag. It is also 26x66. It is made out of a nylon, polyester, microfiber blend with a soft cotton twill liner in "yarn dyed buffalo chick". It comes in red, navy, and chocolate. It is extremely soft- much like the feel of a microfiber suede fabric. My son has a chocolate brown bag- he will get it out of the closet and
lay on the floor in our room in the morning and read books- very sweet.
It has reinforced zippers with velcro ties to secrue the roll. It can be machine washed on cold and dried on low. It is also $89.

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: How do you share a hotel room with kids?

A: Over the years, I have shared many hotel rooms with my children. I have had some good experiences and some bad experiences. Now, I have my set criteria on what the hotel must have for me to even go. I will seriously stay home and not attempt it if we can't meet my criteria. May seem selfish- but honestly- why go on a vacation if it is going to be miserable and no one is going to sleep.

Here are my criteria and some tips for making it work for you:

• Get a suite or two adjoining rooms- splurge or go to a hotel where all the rooms are suites. This is necessary unless you want to go to sleep when your kids do. Use the extra room to watch a movie, invite friends over, or just hang out in after the kids go to sleep.
  
• Use the bathroom as an extra bedroom- I have found that most bathrooms fit a pack n play if you go in, close the door and set it up. You can also unscrew the light bulb so just the fan stays on and you have a built-in white noise machine. Another added benefit of the bathroom is that they are dark!
  
• If you don't use the bathroom you can use the little hallway that leads to the entrance. Make sure you put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door whenever anyone is sleeping. I also like to use the extra lock feature for added safety.
• Decide if you want to bring a pack n play or if you are going to use a hotel crib- love the convenience of the hotel crib but many times they don't have bumpers and my kids legs end up getting caught in the bars. If they are used to their pack n play it may be an easier transition to sleep as well.
  
• Have older kids practice sleeping in the same room a few times before you kiss them goodnight.
  
• Try to keep things as similar to home as possible: same sound spa, same favorite blanket or stuffed animal, same bedtime routine if possible (it is vacation so things will vary- but try).
  
• Close the big curtains- hotel rooms are made to be nice and dark which is a huge benefit!
  
• Get a room on the first floor- in front of the pool if possible. This makes it easy to lug your luggage in, easy for room access, you can leave your stuff out there if it is nap time, you can sit on the patio and still enjoy being outside and around people during nap time or in the evening.

*A real indulgence- bring along a babysitter!!

Baby Sleeping Bag Discounts and Give-a-way!!

This past Monday I reviewed four potential baby sleep bags. Here are some discounts from the companies for my wonderful, LullabyLuna readers, and a special MerinoKids contest.

Merino Kids Sleep Bag Merino Kids is offering a Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag in your choice of French Navy or Fairy Rose Pink (a $117 value). To enter the contest visit www.babysleepbags.com to answer this question: "What makes the Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag safer for your baby?". Answer in the comments section of this post (please include your email or make sure to check back on Tuesday for who the winner is- if it is you email me). I will draw for the winner this coming Tuesday. (Pass it onto friends)


Lullabag is offering readers a 15% discount until June 15th. Discount code: LL-52009

Dreambag is having a summer sale- 20% off any purchase- visit their site.

Article Review Day 12: Summary of the Study

You may think, "Hmm, my kids don't get that much sleep but I don't think they are tired. They don't yawn much, or fall asleep in the car or at school. And they have so much energy at night! How could they be tired?"

Well, according to the Sleep in Infants article by Davis, Parker, and Montgomery and my observations, "children often manifest symptoms that are paradoxical to sleepiness such as irritability, hyperactivity, short attention span, and low tolerance for frustration." Now, you may be thinking, "That sounds like my child." Let's remember that 1 in 4 children has some sort of sleep problem. "These indicators are often overlooked because children may have a long history of these symptoms or they may be mild in nature."

As parents, educators, people in contact with parents and children, we need to advocate for the importance and necessity of sleep. "Considerable clinical and anecdotal evidence supports an association between sleep loss and resultant cognitive and behavioral changes. Children's emotional and behavioral problems often significantly improve when underlying sleep problems are identified and rectified resulting in the attainment of adequate amounts of sleep. Furthermore, several studies have found a link between typical symptoms of inadequate sleep in children and symptoms characteristic of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)."

So, think again before thinking "Sleep, Shmeep". This is serious stuff- just increasing the amount of sleep our children receive could change our child's behavior, performance at school, emotional well-being, decrease kids accidents and injuries, and even answer some of the unanswerable questions regarding ADHD.

Product Review: Baby Sleep Bags

Even though baby sleep bags have been used for the last 25 years and are the norm in many European countries, I was not familiar with the "baby sleep bag" until I started to look for something that would work to keep babies warm while camping. I wanted something that would be like a sleeping bag with the goal of keeping them warm and be safe. Low and behold, I came across the baby sleep bag- not designed for camping specifically, but for keeping babies warm in their own beds. The baby sleep bag actually promotes safe sleep by taking the place of blankets that could be dangerous to a baby or toddler and allows the child to move around naturally in their bed avoiding getting caught up in blankets. It encourages back sleep (although my daughter will sleep on her tummy too) reducing SIDS risk factors and increasing safer sleep. They are made to keep a child at a comfortable temperature all night long making for better sleep. They are also safe because a baby can't slip down into them.

The sleep bag can be useful in a crib, while camping, some in a car seat, or wherever your child needs to sleep with extra warmth. And just like any commonly used sleep "extra" that triggers the thought "It is time for bed" a sleep bag can do that too. On first look, you may think the large size and length is odd (I did), but it provides for greater movement, and air circulation, so the baby does not overheat. As your baby grows up, starts standing in her crib, and just moving more overall, you can see the necessity for the size. My one year-old daughter can even walk around in hers.

A sleep bag is worn over pajamas. You will need to decide on the weight of the pajamas based on the temperature of your sleep environment. I reviewed four bags- many have similar characteristics, but you will have to decide which is best for you and your situation. I highly recommend trying one before you decide to throw a blanket in the crib for extra warmth.

MerinoKids Baby Sleep Bag

The Merino Sleep Bag comes in very cute prints and sizes for ages 0-4 years. It goes on easily and is made from a thin, soft fabric that wears well. It is a year-round sack. It is perfect for sleep environments of 65 to 75 degrees. They also have a winter weight bag for sleep environment temperatures of 59 to 68 degrees. You wear pajamas under, and Merino suggests avoiding synthetic fabrics that don't release heat or moisture. Merino Kids' New Zealand Merino wool fabric is unique to other sleep bags. It is made of natural merino fabric that readily absorbs and releases moisture to warm and cool a child and regulate their body temperature so they don't overheat or wake up cold as the temperature in their room changes through the night. For sleeping in a stroller or car seat it comes with a safety belt aperture. Another unique element of this bag is that besides being made of natural material, it is naturally fire resistant. You might think- wool? Allergies? Washing? I don't know? Well, it is allergy safe and can be machine washed. Another plus, is that Merino wool is naturally resistant to stains and odors and so washings can be less frequent if the bag is left to air.

Cost: Even though the MerinoKids baby sleep bag is pricier-$119- than other sleep bags it can be used for a long time, is all natural, and has the special attributes of Merino wool. They come sized for newborn to 24 months or 2-4 years. That is a lot of use out of one bag with some unique features.



Camping tip: Try the winter weight bag with one or two layers of warm pajamas underneath depending on conditions.

Mom Story: "Both of my children sleep in the toddler-size Merino Kids sleep sacks
and love them. They are reluctant to take them off in the morning and
will sit happily playing in them. My children started with the Merino
Kids Baby Sleep Bag from the newborn age. and it was a natural
progression for them to move to the toddler-size."

Grobag Sleep Bags

"A Grobag Baby Sleep Bag is a wearable blanket that will keep your baby at a comfortable temperature all night long." The Grobag comes in different "togs" for different seasons as well as a variety of different colors and patterns. It is made out of 100% polyester fiber batting and is surrounded by 100% cotton. It has a full length zipper and zipper guard so zippers don't touch skin. It comes with a 2-way zipper on the front and back that works with stroller harnesses and 5-point harnesses. It is machine washable. Check out the Grobag site for some other safety tips while using your Grobag. Grobag is very interested in sleep safety and has partnered with the FSID (Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths).

Cost:$40



Camping tip: Try the 2.5 tog with 1-2 layers of warm pajamas underneath depending on conditions.

Mom Story: "I was given a Grobag when my son was three years old. We had previously not used anything like a baby sleep bag. Even though he was older and slept in a bed, he often woke up cold from kicking off all of his covers. Once, we started using the Grobag (which did take a week or so to get used to) he stopped waking up at night and woke up warm."

Lullabag by cloud b
"The LullaBag is a sleep bag that is specifically
designed to help babies sleep through the night.
With the LullaBag, baby stays at a constant comfortable
temperature, which greatly improves the quality
and duration of baby’s sleep, not to mention
Mom and Dad’s! Because the LullaBag promotes
back sleep and replaces loose bedding, it is a
safer way to put baby to sleep- reducing certain
risk factors associated with SIDS." It comes in two sizes: birth-9 months and 9-18 months. It comes in soft materials with simple embroidery or plain: Lightweight Cotton, Deluxe Fleece, Pointelle Cotton, or a New Bamboo material that is coming out this month. All bags the have a Polyester Innerfill.

Cost: $32-36



Camping tip: Try the Pointelle Cotton with 1-2 layers of warm jammies underneath depending on conditions.

Mom Story: "We live in a cold house; we only have wall heaters. After having my baby, I started searching for something that would keep him warm, so I wouldn't have to worry so much. I knew blankets were an unsafe choice. I ran across the Lullabag and have used it for the past couple weeks. It has been great and kept him warm."

Dreambag

The Dreambag comes in a variety of fresh prints with the goal of keeping baby safe and warm as he sleeps. It comes in 3 togs for the different warmth needs and 3 sizes (0-6 months, 6-18 months, and 18-36 months). The material all feels nice to the touch. The outside is 65% poyester and 35% cotton, the inner padding is 100% polyester, and it has a 100% cotton lining. It too can be machine washed.

Cost: $45-50



Camping tip: Try the 2.5 Tog with 1-2 layers of warm jammies underneath depending on conditions.

Mom Story: "I am always worried about my baby when we go camping- she sleeps in a little baby tent deal which is great. But, even with two layers of pajamas on, she doesn't stay warm all night. I tried using the Dreambag with a pair of warm pajamas the last time we went camping and it made a huge difference!"