Choosing the Best Material for Your Baby Sleeping Bag
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It is very important for your baby to not wake up feeling damp and sweaty but it is also important for your baby to not get too cold during the night. Certain baby sleeping bags have what is called a TOG rating. This rating is simply a rating of thermal resistance. It was first developed by the Shirley Institute in Britain as an easy to follow alternative to SI measurement. The most common TOG rating of a baby sleeping bag is 2.5. It is just good to remember to not let your baby overheat. Another way to regulate temperature is by how good the fabric absorbs moisture or wicks it away from the body.
Different fabrics absorb moisture differently. It is important to get a fabric that will absorb the moisture from your baby so they don’t wake up feeling damp and sweaty. I know I don’t like to wake up feeling that way so why would my baby? Synthetic fibers are probably the worst for absorbing moisture. Synthetic fibers would include: rayon, polyester, spandex, and carbon fiber. Not saying that you are going to have a baby sleeping bag made out of carbon fiber but you get the idea. Synthetic fibers are not natural, they are made from scientists. Synthetic fibers will absorb less than 1% of its weight in moisture.
The next best option would be cotton. This material is very common and is natural. There are many different types of cotton. Some of them being American Prima Cotton which is primarily grown in the southwestern states, Egyptian cotton which is extra long staple cotton grown in Egypt. Egyptian cotton is normally softer and more durable than the Pima cotton grown in America. Shiny cotton is a processed cotton that is made into a cloth resembling satin. Shiny cotton has a very low ability to absorb water and liquids making it not a very good choice for your baby sleeping bag and also for your dish towels and other things that you would want to absorb water. On a whole natural cotton will absorb 25% of its weight in water.
The best option for fabric for your little one’s sleep sack would be Merino Wool. According to the extensive studies done by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia showed that Merino was twice as effective at absorbing and releasing sweat as an equivalent polyester fabric. It is this ability to not just absorb more moisture vapor but also release it that explains why Merino is so effective at reducing the uncomfortable sensation of clamminess. Merino wool pretty much makes a micro-climate around your baby, so when they get to hot it regulates and breathes and the same for when they get cold or it gets cold or hot on the outside. Merino wool can absorb up to 35% of its own dry weight in water.
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Very interesting and amusing subject. I read with great pleasure.