One of the first questions asked by baby sleep consultants is “what fabrics does your baby sleep in?”. This is because waking up too hot or too cold is one of THE LEADING causes of unnecessary night wakings for small children, and one of the simplest to solve.
But the crazy part? Almost all baby sleeping bags sold use a polyester wadding, which inhibits the body’s natural ability to regulate temperature. Using a polyester wadding sleeping bag means your baby is a lot more likely to wake up from being an unconformable temperature and it can also lead to sudden overheating.
Even so claimed “organic” baby sleeping bags will often have polyester inside. So it’s really important to read about the fabric composition and make sure you know what you’re buying.
Sleep consultants advise using 100% natural fabrics inside and out, because removing polyester from the sleep environment can quickly and easily reduce the chances of your baby being an uncomfortable temperature. Natural and organic baby sleepwear actually helps your baby to get longer, better quality sleep, and there are so many other benefits too!
The benefits of organic fabrics for babies
- Organic and natural fabrics are more breathable than synthetic alternatives, meaning it’s easier for body heat to be maintained at a comfortable temperature for long periods of time.
- Organic fabrics create ventilation which prevents the growth of fungi and bacteria, which can build up more quickly in synthetic fabrics.
- Organic cotton is softer than even regular cotton because of its long fibres. Hand picking the cotton ensures the long fibres aren’t damaged, resulting in a better quality, softer and and more durable product which is not only more breathable, but more comfortable too.
- Given the significantly reduced chemical load, organic fabrics also reduce the risk of your child developing skin conditions and allergies, so they’ll be less itchy and easier to settle.
Benefits to the planet and the workers:
Organic fabrics significantly reduce toxic chemical usage from farm to factory to households. Growing cotton organically helps protect insects, wildlife and bees as it’s grown without chemical fertilisers and pesticides so it actually benefits the soil rather than damaging it. It requires significantly less water to grow and is often grown using natural irrigation systems, using around 91% less water than conventional cotton 1. The manufacturing process for organic cotton uses less energy and releases fewer greenhouse gasses, as well as avoiding the toxic chemicals usually added at this stage of production. So before it’s even reached the shelves, it’s already so much better for the health and safety of farmers and factory workers. Additionally, if you buy organic fabrics which are Global Organic Textile Standard (“GOTS”) certified, you can be sure that all the workers in the supply chain have received a decent wage and work under safe conditions, as this standard looks not just at the environmental and chemical aspect of the fabrics, but also the ethics in the supply chain too.
Health benefits:
GOTS certified organic fabrics don’t contain the harsh chemicals in the finished products that conventional / non-organic fabrics have. Not only do these chemicals make their way into the body via contact with the skin, they’re also breathed in as they release from the fabrics into the air. Plus babies and small kids are likely to chew on them too, resulting in direct ingestion of these toxins. Young children are more at risk of health complications from these chemicals because their skin is more delicate, they breath more air relative to their body weight than adults and they are at crucial stages of development.
Pure Earth Collection Organic Baby Sleeping Bags
We wanted to harness all the amazing benefits of organic fabrics in our baby sleeping bags and cut out the synthetic bad guys. We replaced the traditional polyester filling with a specially designed organic bamboo yarn. The result is a baby sleeping bag which is 100% organic inside and out to help babies regulate their body temperature whatever the weather. These pioneering, totally natural sleeping bags are proven to help babies get longer, better quality sleep and reduces the risk of overheating (a risk which is quite high when using polyester-fill bags).
We also added a super soft clip on comforter to the front of some of our sleeping bags to help babies self sooth to sleep without the temptation to leave loose items in the cot. These are made using our signature organic cotton velour. Keeping toys natural, especially ones which are held near the face for long periods of time, is really important too.
Recommended by leading sleep specialists, our sleeping bags have won multiple industry awards for their unique and cutting-edge design and are used by thousands of happy parents around the world.
Because we’re so passionate about removing polyester from baby products, we also created a range of organic clothing to help families reduce their overall micro-plastic exposure. We have super snuggly organic cotton dressing gowns, snoods, little mittens and more.
So the secret to helping your baby sleep and reducing their toxic load from non-organic fabrics is to always read labels and choose organically certified fabrics wherever you can. Align yourselves with brands you can trust who have the best interests of your health and the planet in mind. You can find out more about our products and our organic fabrics by visiting our shop page below.
Sources:
- https://thewaternetwork.com/article-FfV/organic-cotton-uses-91-less-water-Iz2QNXKP-_v-CdIQ9joM4A