WASHINGTON — Many exhausted parents rely on weighted sleep products to help their little ones rest. Companies say they can help babies fall asleep and sleep longer.
This was the kind of relief Alyssa was looking for with one of her kids.
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“With our daughter, she was having a hard time connecting sleep cycles. She really loves to move,” she said “We’re up every 45 minutes, trying to put the [pacifier] back, trying to calm her down.”
Alyssa is a mom of three. She didn’t want to share her last name for this story. She said her youngest daughter had a hard time sleeping and after many sleepless nights, she decided to try a weighted sleep sack.
“I was so desperate to find something that would work for us, that when I found something that said, ‘this will help your baby sleep, and you will sleep too,’ selfishly, like, that’s what I wanted,” said Alyssa.
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Alyssa said she only used it once because her daughter had difficulty breathing while using the product.
“I could tell that the sleep sack did its job in that it prohibited her from moving so much so that she wouldn’t wake herself up,” she said. “But it put so much weight and so much pressure on her little chest and on her lungs that she was having to work overtime to try to breathe.”
Fortunately, Alyssa’s daughter wasn’t hurt.
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But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) told the Washington News Bureau it is aware of “multiple fatalities associated with infant weighted products.” The agency spokesperson said the investigations are ongoing, and the findings will be included “as part of our information collection and larger examination of infant weighted products.”
We also found at least four reports to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission about safety concerns involving these products.
In one report, a parent said their son died after using a weighted sleep sack from the company, Dreamland Baby. They wrote their son’s face was visible when he went to sleep but they later found him face down, unable to turn over because of the added weight, they believe.
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In response, Dreamland Baby wrote it is committed to product safety and any incidents are investigated to “ensure there are no larger safety concerns to address.” As part of the report, the company added “Dreamland’s weighted sleep sacks were designed in collaboration with pediatricians, NICU nurses and certified sleep consultants and are safe when used as intended.”
Now, Congressman Tony Cárdenas, Congresswoman Kim Schrier and Senator Richard Blumenthal are introducing the Safeguarding Infants from Dangerous Sleep Act. It would ban weighted sleep products like swaddles, sleep sacks, and blankets that may limit movement and make it difficult for babies to breathe while sleeping.
Alyssa said she supports the bill. She believes there isn’t enough information about these products.
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“I think having that ban in place is only going to not only protect infants, but it’s going to protect parents to help make good decisions,” she said.
Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean are two of the major companies that design and sell these weighted sleep products. Both companies declined our request for an interview.
But in a statement, a spokesperson for Dreamland Baby said these actions by Congress don’t identify the root causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and “unfortunately, show a disregard for the millions of families who have relied on gently weighted sleep products as safe and effective sleep solutions for over a decade.”
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“We firmly oppose this overreaching and misguided anti-science bill that is neither rooted in data nor aligned with the legitimate interest of infant safety,” Manasi Gangan, CEO of Nested Bean, said in a written statement.
Earlier this year, Target, Walmart, Nordstrom, and Babylist announced they would stop selling weighted infant products after the CPSC Chairman wrote letters to those companies warning them about the potential dangers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also first warned against these products in 2022. The AAP says weighted sleep products are unsafe for infants.
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Full statement from Dreamland Baby:
“We are deeply disappointed that Senator Blumenthal has chosen to promote unsubstantiated claims about the causes of SIDS. As the American Academy of Pediatrics posted as recently as July 30, 2024: “No one knows exactly what causes SIDS, so there’s no guaranteed way to prevent it.” The Senator should be supporting further research into the causes of SIDS, not insinuating that weighted products are at fault when no data supports this association.
“As a public figure, the Senator has a responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information he shares rather than stating information that may mislead parents in Connecticut and nationally. The Senator knows that further research is needed in this area because, on May 22, 2024, I had a meeting with the Senator, during which he acknowledged to me personally that he knew of no incident data that would support a ban on weighted sleep products. In fact, the CPSC’s data over the past ten years shows no hazard pattern with weighted products. Despite this, the Senator is attempting to ban these products instead of supporting real research.
“The Senator’s actions will not help identify the root causes of SIDS and, unfortunately, show a disregard for the millions of families who have relied on gently weighted sleep products as safe and effective sleep solutions for over a decade.
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Full statement from Manasi Gangan, CEO of Nested Bean:
“For over 13 years, Nested Bean has sold over 2.5 million products while maintaining an exceptional safety record, thanks to our commitment to rigorous safety designs and both mandatory and voluntary testing conducted under expert guidance. Our track record and commitment to safety speaks for itself.
“We firmly oppose this overreaching and misguided anti-science bill that is neither rooted in data nor aligned with the legitimate interest of infant safety. This bill, unfortunately, mirrors the CPSC’s unfounded targeting of our minority-owned small business, driven by Commissioner Trumka’s abuse of authority—currently under congressional investigation. Trumka’s baseless and unwarranted claims about the safety of our products lack supporting science, data and undermine due process.
“We must correct the false information propagated by some government officials:
• Innovative Safety: Our products contain only a few ounces of filling designed to gently mimic a parent’s touch, weighing the same or less than an infant car seat chest clip or a parent’s palm—touches that infants are naturally accustomed to from birth. Our products are loved by babies and supported by parents and caregivers.
• Robust Testing: Our products successfully passed stringent mandatory and voluntary safety tests overseen by leading experts. Preliminary studies confirm that the gentle pressure applied by our products does not impede infants’ breathing, as evidenced by our impeccable safety record.
• Government Findings: In January 2023, the CPSC launched an extensive four-month evaluation of Nested Bean products to assess potential risks of suffocation or related hazards. The findings confirmed there were no grounds for further action under the Consumer Product Safety Act, and the report was closed in April 2023.
“Despite reckless and harmful statements made by certain government officials, our customers—loving parents, grandparents, and caregivers—continue to stand firmly with us. We are committed to delivering safe, high-quality products and will not be deterred by unfounded accusations.”
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